The anecdotal evidence drawn from sources mentions an alchemist called Dzou Yen, who lived in the 4th Century BC and appeared to be highly regarded by royal courts and nobles. Certainly, in 175 BC, an edict was issued threatening any alchemists making counterfeit gold with death, so it seems that alchemy was already established before then. There are some anecdotal accounts that the Chinese interest in alchemy developed in the 4th Century BC. The idea of a drug that can confer immortality appears to stem from the ancient Indian Vedas, from before 1000BC, and it is likely that the Chinese belief developed from there. Ge Hong, an officiel during the Jin Dynasty (263-420), who was interested in Daoism, alchemy, and techniques of longevity (Public Domain) Chinese alchemy was also related closely to the holistic Chinese traditional medicine, with many minerals believed to have healing qualities, a strong difference from the Greek influenced idea that only organic substances could be used for medicines. The Chinese alchemy blended in with their Taoist beliefs and the idea of balance and harmony, one of the many reasons why it took a different course from the western alchemy. ![]() Like western alchemists, the Chinese were obsessed with creating gold but, rather than creating gold for wealth, their obsession was with creating gold of the utmost purity for creating an elixir of life and a way to achieve immortality. This Eurocentric view fails to take into account the work of the Chinese alchemists, who also developed methods for manipulating minerals and altering the state of substances. To most people, this is the alchemy that eventually developed into chemistry, and is often referred to as a protoscience.
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