Chinese Classics
Classics · Joyful Health
Making classics fun and useful for healthy living. Read Chinese classics entry by entry — from philosophical foundations to medical theory, from physical practice to spiritual wellness. Original text, vernacular translation, annotations, modern interpretation, mind maps, and multi-perspective debate.
Start reading → 💬 Debate HallIncluded Classics
Huangdi Neijing
China's earliest extant medical classic. All 162 chapters (Su Wen 81 + Ling Shu 81) have been transcribed. Close reading follows the Ming dynasty *Neijing Zhiyao* classification.
PendingDao De Jing
Laozi's five thousand words, the foundational text of Daoism. On the Way, virtue, nature, and non-action — the essential guide to self-cultivation.
PendingZhou Yi (I Ching)
The foremost of all classics, the Way of yin-yang transformation. Sixty-four hexagrams encompassing the principles of heaven, earth, and humanity.
PendingShi Jing (Book of Odes)
China's earliest poetry anthology, 300 poems in Feng, Ya, and Song. Confucius said: "Without studying poetry, one cannot speak."
PendingShen Nong Ben Cao Jing
China's earliest extant pharmacological treatise. Records 365 substances, classified into upper, middle, and lower grades.
PendingNan Jing
The *Eighty-One Difficulties of the Yellow Emperor*, elucidating 81 challenging points from the *Neijing*. Specialized treatise on pulse diagnosis, channels, and organs.
PendingHuainanzi
Compiled by Liu An of the Western Han, a representative work of the eclectic school. Preserves the most complete ancient myths including Nüwa mending the sky and Houyi shooting the suns, while also discussing self-cultivation and governance.
Text RecordedTaiji Quan Lun
Wang Zongyue's *Taiji Quan Lun* as the foundational text, integrating the principles of Zhou Yi's taiji, Dao De Jing's softness, and Neijing's qi-blood foundation — classics put into physical practice.
PendingZhuangzi
One of the twin pillars of Daoism — Laozi speaks of the substance of the Way, Zhuangzi speaks of its function. Mind fasting, sitting in forgetfulness, free and easy wandering, the lord of nourishing life — the earliest and purest classic of spiritual wellness in Chinese culture.
Classic System
From philosophical foundations to medical theory, from physical practice to spiritual wellness, each layer building upon the last:
| Layer | Classics | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophical foundation | Zhou Yi · Dao De Jing | The Way of yin-yang, the principles of nature |
| Medical theory | Huangdi Neijing · Nan Jing | Philosophy → the human body, theoretical system |
| Pharmacology & clinical | Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing | Food and medicine as one, upper grade nourishes life |
| Physical practice | Taiji Quan Lun | Softness overcomes hardness, qi sinks to the dantian |
| Spiritual wellness | Zhuangzi | Mind fasting and sitting in forgetfulness, spiritual freedom |
| Cultural refinement | Shi Jing · Huainanzi | Ritual and music for self-cultivation, mythology for broad knowledge |
How to Use
- Start from Included Classics or Classic System to choose a classic and browse its six sections
- Huangdi Neijing close reading follows eleven categories, each entry containing A (original + translation + annotations) / B (modern interpretation) / C (mind map + key points) + multi-perspective debate
- Top right corner allows theme switching (Dawn / Night / Sepia / Minimal) and font size adjustment
- On desktop, a table of contents appears on the right for easy navigation