According to his biography in “The Unauthorized History of the Ming Dynasty,” Li Shizhen was born in Qizhou (today Qichun County in Hubei Province). Li lived from 1518 to 1593 during the Ming dynasty.

When Li Shizhen was born, a white deer entered the room. Since his childhood, he thought it had been decreed by fate that he would study something related to immortality.

Li Shenzhen loved to read and was very knowledgeable since he read all kind of books. Li liked medical books the best and was very good at medicine, so he regarded himself as a physician.

Li Shizhen thought the categories of herbal books in ancient China were too complicated; the names were not properly assigned, and he did not think the herbs were properly documented. Therefore, Shizhen devoted 30 years to compiling “Bencao Gangmu” (“The Great Compendium of Herbs”), which went through three revisions and included information from more than 800 books.

His other works included “Poems of Suo Guan,” “Medical Cases,” “Key to Internal Energy Passages,” “Discussion of Five Organs,” “Difficulty of Sanjiaoke,” “Research of Mingmen,” and Discussion of Poems.”

In his later years, Li Shizhen called himself “Recluse Near a Lake.” He was not only a well-known physician and herbalist but also a person who practiced magic, and he meditated every night.

Though Li Shizhen was proficient in medicine and the practice of seeking for immortality, he also paid great attention to the Eight Internal Energy Passages. He pointed out in his “Study of Eight Internal Passages” that physicians and immortality seekers ought to know the eight passages. He said that they would know the real world of their profession if they understood the eight internal energy passages.