Page 30 - Proceedings of The Fifth Meeting of Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin

24

Outline of Yunnan Nationality Medicine

Zheng Jin, Zhang Chao, Chen Qinghua, Zhou Hongli
Faculty of Folk Medicine
Yunnan University of TCM

Abstract

There are 25 ethnic minorities; every nationality has its own distinctive
medicine. Yunnan Nationalities medicine is the perfect combination of natural and
human, a valuable wealth of Yunnan. The article put emphasis on introducing the
theories and features of traditional Dai, Tibetan and Yi medicine and the developing
status of the Yunnan Ethnic Medicine to make everybody comprehend Yunnan
Nationality medicine.

Keyword: Yunnan; nationality; medicine; outline

Yunnan is a province with the largest ethnic groups in the territory of China,
25 ethnic minorities almost all having their own disease prevention and control
experience and even medical theories, among which, 15 ethnic groups, including
Dai, Bai, Hani, Wa, Lisu, Nu, Dulong, Keno etc are unique in Yunnan. With the
geographical environment, climatic conditions, different traditional cultures, all ethnic
groups create medical knowledge having their own national characteristics in the
struggle with the disease.
Due to the imbalance of the social and historical development, the uneven
development of the national medicine of Yunnan can be broadly divided into three
categories: one is a relatively complete system of medicine theoretical system, such
as Dai medicine, Tibetan medicine, Yi medicine; second, with some pharmaceutical
experience accumulation and written records, but having not yet formed a system of
Chinese medicine theoretical system, such as the Naxi Dongba medicine; the third
category is the only medical experience. There is no written record, relying on the
passing to next generation by oral narratives and learning by heart such as the Wa,
De'ang, Hani, Pumi medicine.
The backbone of Yunnan nationality medicine is Dai medicine, Tibetan
medicine and Yi medicine, Naxi, Wa, Bai, Hani and other national medicine
constitute its foliage. The following is a brief introduction to the Yunnan Nationality
Medicine.

DAI MEDICINE
Dai is a unique nationality in Yunnan, but also a cross-border ethnic, which is
the same nation as the Thai of Thailand, Myanmar Shan, Lao in Laos, Dai and Nong
in northern Vietnam. Therefore, the Dai culture and Southeast Asian cultures have
the same strain features. Dai people mainly live in the flatland region (Dai called
"Meng"), having a unique tropical monsoon season rain forest climate.
The special geographical environment and the brilliant national culture gave
birth to the unique national characteristics of Dai medicine. Dai medicine has a long