Chinese Alchemy

Chinese alchemy has mythical beginnings, but scholars agree with a date of 133 BC for the first recorded event that can safely be attributed to alchemy. That year the master (fangshi) Li Shaojun addressed Emperor Wu (156-87 BC) of the Han dynasty with detailed instructions of how to reach immortality by a string of methods that included an alchemical transmutation into gold. 

The simple timeline above records some of the main events or individuals associated with alchemy (below the line), setting them against the duration of the main Chinese dynasties. Alchemy became popular toward the end of the Han, but flourished during the Tang dynasty (618-906). It continued to be popular during the Song (960-1279) but declined during the Mongol invasion and after the restoration of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). 

Credits: Georgiana Hedesan (March 2022).