Wu Qin Xi, as one of the most important health preservation methods in China, was created by Hua Tuo, a famous ancient doctor in China. Since the 1980s, the academic community has conducted in-depth research on Wu Qin Xi. At that time, it mainly focused on issues such as version interpretation, evolution and development, and historical origins. Since the 21st century, people have begun to examine Wu Qin Xi from the perspective of modern medicine. However, the investigation of the life history and cultural history of Wu Qin Xi has been intentionally or unintentionally ignored, which is indeed a pity.
Compared with the repetition in most historical records and works of health preservation experts, the records of Wu Qin Xi in ancient poems and essays show strong coherence and vividness.
The Wu Qin Xi, attributed to Hua Tuo, was not created in a single effort. Before the emergence of Wu Qin Xi, Daoyin exercises already existed, and the Daoyin diagram unearthed from Mawangdui in Changsha is recognized as the oldest fitness practice in Chinese history. Slightly later, the ‘Huainanzi – Jing Shen Xun’ also mentioned: ‘If one blows and breathes, expels the old and takes in the new, imitates the bear’s posture and the bird’s stretch, the duck’s bath and the ape’s leap, the kite’s gaze and the tiger’s look, this is the way of those who cultivate their form.
They do not let their minds slip, allowing their spirit to be vast without losing its fullness, day and night without harm, harmonizing with all things as in spring, thus aligning with the time and the heart.’ It involves six animals: bear, bird, duck, ape, kite, and tiger. Therefore, we can say that Wu Qin Xi was not solely created by Hua Tuo by imitating animal forms; it also collected other Daoyin exercises and combined pre-Qin health theories with his own medical practice experience to create a new sequence. For instance, Emperor Kangxi stated: ‘Hua Tuo’s Wu Qin Xi is based on Zhuang Zhou’s ‘blowing and breathing, expelling the old and taking in the new, the bear’s posture, and the bird’s stretch.’ Each Daoyin exercise has its origin.’ He believed that Hua Tuo’s theoretical foundation for creating Wu Qin Xi was ‘Zhuangzi – Ke Yi’. Of course, there are other views, such as Ming Dynasty person Yang Shen pointing out, ‘Hua Tuo had Wu Qin Xi, and the Daoist classics also have bear posture, bird stretch, duck bath, ape grasp, kite gaze, tiger look, pheasant breath, and turtle shrink, called ‘Ba Qin. ‘ ‘Ye Hang Chuan’ and ‘Yi Xia Zhi Yan’ also mention ‘Ba Qin,’ but this view is not found in documents before the Ming Dynasty, so it is questionable. The earliest written record of Wu Qin Xi practice methods that we can see is in Tao Hongjing’s ‘Yang Xing Yan Ming Lu’. The practice method for the Tiger Exercise is to be on all fours, jump forward three times, retreat twice, stretch the waist, look up at the sky abruptly, and then return to the original standing position, repeating the forward and backward jumps seven times each; the Deer Exercise method is to be on all fours, stretch the neck to look back, three times on the left, two times on the right, and perform leg extension exercises, three times on the left, two times on the right; the Bear Exercise method is to lie on your back, hold below the knees with both hands, use both hands to hold below the knees, and use the head to lead the body to the left and right sides seven times, then squat on the ground, and take turns with both hands to bear weight and touch the ground; the Ape Exercise method is to pull up the body, stretch and contract the body seven times, hang the body upside down with the feet, move left and right seven times, hook the object with the hands, stand backward with both feet, and lower the head seven times; the Bird Exercise method is to raise both hands, lift one foot, stretch both arms, exert strength, cross left and right seven times, sit on the ground, straighten both legs, and try to grab the soles of the feet with both hands, seven times, and stretch and contract both arms seven times. Bai Yun Zi said, ‘Long viewing injures the blood, long lying injures the qi, long standing injures the bones, long walking injures the sinews, long sitting injures the flesh, which is called the injury of the five labors.’The concept of ‘Seven Injuries’ refers to the physical harm caused by human emotions such as joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and surprise. To counteract these, one can practice the Wu Qin Xi exercises. As stated, ‘The guidance of the five animals moves their joints, aligning the human form, with the flow of qi rising and falling in an orderly manner.’ Qi Zhenzhi remarked, ‘Hua Tuo, observing the movements of five animals, created a series of exercises.
The principle is that if the human body remains inactive for too long, the flow of blood and qi will stagnate, leading to illness. By engaging in movement, the body stretches, the blood vessels merge and flow smoothly, and the body recovers. Subsequently, people have competed to learn this to seek longevity.’ In the Ming Dynasty, Hu Wenhuan proposed the intensity of practicing Wu Qin Xi, stating, ‘The method of Wu Qin Xi should be performed with effort until one sweats. ‘ In the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Shaoyang, in ‘The Outer Books of the Yellow Emperor,’ grasped the essence of Qi Bo’s guidance and combined it with Hua Tuo’s theory of Wu Qin Xi to create three volumes of ‘Guiding Diagrams,’ which unfortunately did not circulate. Since the Sui Dynasty, many poems and writings related to Wu Qin Xi have been preserved, such as ‘Having heard of the partiality for the exercises of the five animals, the gulls outside the door become even more intimate,’ (Liu Zongyuan) and ‘Having mastered the appropriateness of nine years, and also excelling in the exercises of the five animals,’ (Duan Qiu). These two lines of poetry both come from letters written by Li Shangyin to his friends, indicating that at the time, mastering ‘the exercises of the five animals’ had become a standard for evaluating talent. Sun Yiren, facing the steep Hua Mountain and tall pine trees, remained agile, mainly due to his practice of ‘calling upon the three islands at sea, and playing with the five animals in the fasting hall. ‘ This sufficiently proves that during the Tang Dynasty, both in Taoist circles and among the common people, there was a habit of practicing Wu Qin Xi, and they took pride in it. In the Song Dynasty, Wu Qin Xi was a lifestyle trend among literati. When Wang Anshi visited a friend’s house, he found a guiding diagram of Wu Qin Xi hanging there, ‘In the northern hall, the five animals are drawn, playing games to nurture the body. ‘ Lin Bu, known as ‘Plum Wife and Crane Son,’ was an avid enthusiast of Wu Qin Xi, ‘After sitting through the legacy, I put on three pigs, and when the small axis is tired, I practice the five animals.’ One day, Mei Yaochen and Xu Bai Shang Ren visited Lin Bu, and the three of them went boating in the village together. As they walked, they moved away from the village, and on the road, only the Taoist temple could be seen, with smoke swirling around, the spring water just rising, and the fluffy riverbank leaving deep marks. The three walked to a secluded place, laughing and joking, and began to practice Wu Qin Xi. In the Yuan Dynasty, Yu Ji once wrote in the poem ‘Secluded Birds’: ‘For whom does the old stone charm, with two secluded flowers so pure and beautiful. In the deep spring, no people are seen, just playing with the five animals.’ Yelü Chucai, an important minister to Genghis Khan, and his son, Yelü Zhu, wanted to be a hermit but did not have the realm of Tao Yuanming’s ‘the heart is far, the place is naturally secluded. ‘ He navigated between Buddhism and Taoism, seeking immortality, believing in divination, and called himself ‘The Solitary Drunk Taoist’ and ‘The Solitary Drunk Immortal.’He said: ‘Yuan Hua Wei Zhen Wu Qin Xi, Tong Ming Shu Wan Liang Niu Tu.’ Practice the Five Animal Frolics, appreciate the ‘Two Oxen Picture,’ comprehend the true essence of Taoism, and immerse oneself in reading classics and writing. During the illness of Zhu Duo, a member of the Ming Dynasty’s royal family, he received a letter from a friend and happily remarked: ‘Comforting the cooking of double carp, supporting the play of Five Animal Frolics.
‘ As the saying goes, ‘actions speak louder than words,’ Xue Hui, after returning to his hometown of Bozhou, spent his whole year learning the Five Animal Frolics, forgetting the books he had studied in his youth. In the book ‘Qing Bai Lei Zao’ written by Xu Ke during the Republic of China era, it records the thriving practice of the Five Animal Frolics in the Qing Dynasty: ‘Do you not see, people from all nations practice gymnastics, strengthening the body and the nation through the Five Animal Frolics. ‘ Emperor Kangxi once said: ‘Play the Five Animal Frolics to prosper, dispel the three worms to move lightly.’ With the emperor’s words, ministers naturally responded in great numbers, and thus ‘health practitioners often spoke of guiding exercises, such as holding Kunlun, sounding the heavenly drum, shaking the heavenly pillar, warming the heart and kidneys, rubbing the soles of the feet, and rinsing the mouth and knocking teeth, performing the Five Animal Frolics and other techniques. ‘ The Five Animal Frolics have also been widely disseminated outside of China. In 1866, the Japanese scholar Fukuzawa Yukichi wrote in his book ‘Western Affairs’: ‘Therefore, next to the school, a playground must be set up, planting flowers and trees, introducing springs, making it a place for games and running. In the garden, pillars, ladders, and ropes are set up, allowing students to climb pillars and ladders or walk on tightropes, practicing the Five Animal Frolics, exercising their limbs, dispelling the depression of hard study, and maintaining physical health. ‘ In modern times, the Five Animal Frolics have become a more common method of physical exercise. In 1934, at the third joint sports meeting of secondary schools in Shanghai, a performance of the Five Animal Frolics gymnastics was held. At that time, there was a doctor named Lu Shi who was good at writing novels. He narrated that he had seen Mi Ruolin, a subordinate of Shi Dakai, the King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, practice the Five Animal Frolics every morning and before going to bed at night. At that time, Mi Ruolin was in his seventies, still vigorous and strong. Lu Shi passed away in 1944. Combining the previous text, we can see that from the creation of the Five Animal Frolics by Hua Tuo in the Eastern Han Dynasty to the modern era, the inheritance route of the Five Animal Frolics is continuous and clear. The enthusiasm of the ancients for the Five Animal Frolics has never waned. Therefore, Pu Songling once described in ‘Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: Lady Feng’ : ‘. .. Eleventh Lady smiled and said: ‘The world’s health preservation techniques are countless, but who has really tried them?’ Feng said: ‘What I have obtained is not known to the world. The world’s tradition is not the true secret, only Hua Tuo’s Five Animal Frolics are somewhat not false.’