Acupuncture therapy was first mentioned in the book "Huangdi Neijing" during the Warring States period. "Huangdi Neijing" states, "Coldness in the body leads to various illnesses, which can be treated with acupuncture." The book provides a detailed description of the nine acupuncture needles, as well as theories and techniques of acupuncture. Acupuncture therapy has been popular in China for over two thousand years and has spread to the rest of the world. However, the practice of acupuncture predates its formalization.
In ancient times, people accidentally discovered that when certain parts of their bodies were struck by sharp and hard objects such as stones or thorns, the resulting pain would unexpectedly diminish. Ancient people started deliberately using sharp stones to puncture certain parts of their bodies or intentionally piercing their bodies to cause bleeding, in order to alleviate pain. Ancient texts frequently mention that the primitive tool for acupuncture was a stone needle called "bianshi." This type of stone needle appeared during the New Stone Age, around 8000 to 4000 years ago, which corresponds to the later period of the clan commune system. People had already mastered techniques for digging and grinding, allowing them to produce finely crafted stone tools suitable for piercing the body to treat diseases. These stone tools were the oldest medical instruments and were used to treat diseases by inserting them into specific parts of the body. At that time, bianshi was also commonly used for incisions and drainage in surgical treatments of suppurative infections, so it was also called "needle stone" or "stone." "Shan Hai Jing" states, "There are stones like jade that can be used as needles," which is an early record of stone needles. Archaeological findings in China have unearthed physical specimens of bianshi. It can be said that bianshi laid the foundation and served as the precursor to the knives and needles used in later times.
Moxibustion therapy emerged after the discovery and use of fire. During the use of fire, people discovered that burning and roasting a certain part of the body relieved or eliminated pain. They then learned to wrap heated stones or sand with animal skins or tree bark for localized heat treatment. Over time, they developed the practice of using ignited branches or dried grass to treat diseases through heating. After extensive exploration, they selected mugwort leaves, which are easily combustible and have a warming effect on the meridians, as the main material for moxibustion therapy. This involved applying localized thermal stimulation on the surface of the body, making moxibustion therapy an important method for disease prevention and treatment, similar to acupuncture. Due to the characteristics of mugwort leaves, such as easy combustion, fragrant aroma, abundant resources, and easy processing and storage, they eventually became the primary material for moxibustion therapy.
The development of acupuncture can be traced back to the use of stone needles ("bianshi") while moxibustion therapy originated from the use of heat. This is the precursor of acupuncture therapy.
The origin of acupuncture can be traced back to the southern part of China, while moxibustion therapy originated in the northern part of China (as stated in "Huangdi Neijing? Yifafangyilun"). With the large-scale development of the wild lands in the East of Lu, West of Yu (present-day Shandong and Henan provinces) starting from 2600 BC, immigrants from all directions flocked to this region, making it the area with the highest population density during the Longshan Culture period (2600 BC-2000 BC). The large population created a high demand for medical services, and acupuncture therapy from the south and moxibustion therapy from the north were introduced to the East of Lu, West of Yu by immigrants from both regions. The East of Lu, West of Yu was historically known as the "eastern region," as mentioned in "Wang Zhi": "The eastern region is called Yi." Therefore, acupuncture therapy can be regarded as a cultural contribution of the ancient Dongyi people in China. This is clearly recorded in "Huangdi Neijing." In the chapter "Yifafangyilun," it states, "The use of stone needles also came from the east." The commentary by Quan Yuanqi in "Suwen" states, "People from the east suffer from boils, abscesses, and congestions, which is why stone needles originated in the east." Fu Xi is recognized by ancient and modern scholars as the leader of the Dongyi people. Therefore, the standardization of acupuncture instruments into the "nine needles" (see the entry "nine needles" in this encyclopedia) is attributed to Fu Xi. In "Hou Ji," an excerpt from "Lu Shi," it quotes from "Di Wang Shi Ji": "Tai Hao (Fu Xi) created the nine needles to save lives." However, this achievement is also attributed to Huangdi in the literature. The preface of "Beiji Qianjin Yaofang" states, "Huangdi received a mandate and created the nine needles." This is because Fu Xi and Huangdi were contemporaries, and their reigns overlapped closely, so it is plausible to attribute the standardization of medical equipment to both rulers (according to the records of Huangfu Mi, the author of "Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing," in his historical work "Di Wang Shi Ji," Fu Xi's capital was located in present-day Huaiyang, and Huangdi's capital was in Qufu. Both of these cities were in the East of Lu, West of Yu region). According to the "Chronology of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors" (see the entry "Chronology of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors" in this encyclopedia), Fu Xi's reign was from 2400 BC to 2370 BC, and Huangdi's reign was from 2337 BC to 2307 BC. Therefore, the formal establishment of Chinese acupuncture therapy and the series of acupuncture instruments occurred between 2400 BC and 2300 BC in the East of Lu, West of Yu region.
