Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c12.s2.7

v2.c12.s2.7

During the same period, China’s record in the development of a system for the self-cultivation and well-being is relatively sketchy. Books like *Huangdi Neijing* (*Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine*) and *Laozi* discuss the relationship between man and nature and propose a system for maintenance of well-being. This centers on the theory of “Qigong (life energy cultivation)” but does not specify the methods of its practice. *Zhuangzi: Selected Articles* also refers to the guiding principle for the self-cultivation and well-being in breathing exercise; ie “exhalation and inhalation of breath”. It is noted that China has been practicing Qigong since long but its descriptions are rather fragmentary. Only in the 4ᵗʰ century BCE, the *Qi Jade Inscription* refers to the contemporary Chinese Qigong theory with details of its practice.