Sun Simiao’s achievements in traditional Chinese medicine and his noble medical ethics are regarded as exemplary in history. As a renowned medical scholar of the Tang Dynasty, he is honored by later generations as the “Medicine King,” and his contributions continue to have a lasting impact. Born into a poor family in Jingzhao Huayuan (now Yaoxian District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province), Sun Simiao was frail and sickly as a child, and his family’s savings were nearly depleted to treat his illnesses. The people around him lived in similar poverty, and many lost their lives due to a lack of medical treatment. This inspired the young Sun Simiao to dedicate his life to studying medicine, vowing to tirelessly work to relieve people’s suffering. He believed that “human life is precious, worth more than a thousand pieces of gold. Saving a life surpasses all else in merit.” This belief guided him throughout his medical career.
A widely circulated story illustrates Sun Simiao’s deep sense of compassion and ethics: One day, while walking, he saw some village children who had captured a weary snake that was near death. Moved by compassion, Sun Simiao purchased the snake from them and released it into the water. Later, while meditating, a man dressed in green appeared and invited him to the legendary Crystal Palace. It turned out that the snake he had saved was the son of the Dragon King, the ruler of the sea. In gratitude, the Dragon King invited Sun Simiao to sit in the seat of honor at a banquet and said, “My son was captured while playing yesterday. If it weren’t for your help, he would have been killed!”
After the banquet, the Dragon King offered Sun Simiao precious treasures to thank him. However, Sun declined and said, “I have heard that the Dragon Palace has many secret medical formulas. If you could share them with me to help relieve the suffering of people, that would be far more valuable to me than any gold or jewels.” Touched by his selflessness, the Dragon King gifted him the “36 Jade Formulas,” which further enhanced Sun Simiao’s medical knowledge.
Sun Simiao devoted his life to the study of medicine, and his monumental work, Qian Jin Yao Fang (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), is the first comprehensive encyclopedia of clinical medicine in Chinese history. Hailed as a “treasure of humanity,” the book covers everything from fundamental medical theories to clinical practices, integrating principles, methods, prescriptions, and herbal medicine. Not only did Sun Simiao compile the clinical experiences of past medical experts, but he also included many folk remedies and prescriptions, drawing from a wide range of sources. To this day, Qian Jin Yao Fang holds immense academic value and continues to guide practitioners in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. He also wrote two other influential books, Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang and Qian Jin Yi Fang, which have had a significant impact on Chinese medicine to this day.
In addition to his remarkable medical skills, Sun Simiao is revered for his noble medical ethics. In his work Da Yi Jing Cheng (The Sincere Heart of a Great Physician), Sun clearly articulated that a truly great physician must be calm, free from desires, and compassionate. A doctor must have the determination to save lives, without discriminating based on wealth, status, age, beauty, personal relationships, ethnicity, or intelligence. All patients should be treated with the same care as one’s own family, without any hesitation or self-interest, and the physician must not shrink from hardships or dangers. Day and night, through cold or heat, hunger or exhaustion, the doctor should be fully devoted to the welfare of the patient, without seeking recognition or rewards. This high standard of medical ethics has been called the “Hippocratic Oath of the East” and has had a profound influence. Even today, many medical schools in China still use Da Yi Jing Cheng as an oath, reminding students to embody this spirit and serve patients wholeheartedly.
Sun Simiao’s life was not only a beacon of excellence in the field of medicine but also a model of selflessness and moral integrity. His legendary stories and medical achievements have added a shining chapter to the history of Chinese medicine, inspiring generations of healers to follow in his footsteps.
Peace LiLy 