Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum

Today we visited the Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum, which chronicled thousands of years of study of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine.

On the way, we ran into this Dad with his son and had to take a quick picture!

The boys took a break from Runescape to come with us to the Traditional Medicine museum.  On the right is the entrance.

The buildings that housed the pharmacy and TCM museum were gorgeous...

 

This wood carving was traditionally hung by the shop door showing people preparing medicine, and was called a "wound curing pellet" sign board. It was used to show that ready-made Chinese medicine was available.

Here's the family standing with SunSimiao, the "Medicine King".  He lived from 581 to 682 A.D., (101 years old!) , and was well versed in the Confucian writings and other schools of thought.  He wrote "Precious Vital Prescriptions" and "Precious Ancillary Prescriptions", that were each over 30 volumes.  He summed up all medical knowledge up to the point of the Tang Dynasty in a systematic fashion and is honored today for his contributions and accomplishments in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

... and a close-up of the "Medicine King".

The buildings were adorned with many elaborate lights and lanterns; such as this one.

 

This is Li Shizhen, who lived from 1518 - 1593 AD.  Among other works, he wrote the "Compendium of Materia Medica", which took him 26 years to write.  The book records 1892 kinds of medicines, attaches over 10,000 prescriptions, 1000 medicine pictures, and is 53 volumes in total for more than 2 million words!  What an accomplishment!

 

 

Here's a customer consulting about her prescription.

Jack looks like he fits right in doesn't he?  There are many windows in this building that open up to charming little courtyards...

... and here are the boys standing in one of those charming courtyards, with samples of plants to be used for medicinal purposes.

Medicine can come from many different sources as we can see here!

Parts of the creature on the left can "promote qi to relieve pain, resolving blood stasis, to stop bleeding, strengthening the kidney to reduce urination." 

Parts of the monkey can clear "heat and settle fright, sweeping phlegm and stabilizing asthma, resolving toxin and dispersing swelling."  I gotta get Dr. Darr some of this stuff!

Sophie loved playing in the little courtyards too.  It was a very rainy, misty day so puddle splashing was especially fun.

Another indoor courtyard that we explored, off of which was the Accountant's Office.

Here's the accountant's office that was really beautiful.

In the waiting area, some of the older people were enthralled by Sophie as they waited for their prescriptions to be filled.

 

... and here's the pharmacy.  We picked up some cough medicine for Sophie.  We'll let you know if it works!

 

... and here are the pharmacists mixing up the necessary ingredients for the customers.

... waiting for delivery!

Next we hoofed it to West Lake to take a boat to some of the little islands in its center.  After the Medicine Museum, here is Jack contemplating his "qi".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready for the boat...

We saw these packs of playing cards that I just had to get a picture of!

In the same shop, the kids found electric bubble blowers.  They were a big hit, but kind of a sticky mess!

Lots of people at the park on this Saturday.  Here's a couple enjoying the lake...

 

An interesting little restaurant in the park.  We'll have to go back there.

We rode on these boats out to the West Lake islets.  Not too rainy now, just a bit misty.

International Ambassador Sophie decided to share this umbrella with her new friend, while the friend's daughter took their picture.

Another shot of the boats we took.

... here are Peter and I having fun with the camera and Sue's umbrella.

... and at the Mid-Lake Pavilion on an islet out in the West Lake

The boats weren't stopped by the misty weather and a pagoda is just barely viewable in the distance.

Jack and Sophie enjoying the flora and fauna.

This scene is depicted on the 1 yuan note, so we had to get a similar picture!

Although it was gray and misty all day, we really enjoyed all of the greenery, and all of the water everywhere. 

We had a Thai dinner at a local restaurant, The Banana Leaf and then put the kids to bed early - they were all very tired after a long day of exploration!