In ancient times, a mythological Chinese ruler, the first Yan Emperor Shennong, became a deity in Chinese folk medicine. As the population grew, human hearts grew less pure, and the natural environment deteriorated, leading to the rise of disease. Shennong personally tasted hundreds of herbs, used them to cure diseases, relieve suffering, and save lives, and became revered as the forefather of herbal medicine.

The primeval forest of Shennongjia, in Hubei Province, is said to be the place where Shennong gathered herbs, identified 365 medicinal plants, and compiled Shennong’s Herbal Classics, which has been passed down to this day. This book, together with the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of 81 Difficult Issues, and Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases, became the four great classics of Chinese medicine and laid the foundation for treating illness with herbal remedies.

In modern times, with the influx of Western medicine and the so‑called integration of Chinese and Western practices, traditional Chinese medicine has faced tremendous challenges. Nevertheless, in mainland China, there are still many hereditary practitioners scattered among the people — reclusive masters who travel widely, offering healing and saving lives. I have personally encountered three folk doctors with outstanding medical ethics and remarkable skills; below are their stories.

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