German version of first volume of Bencao Gangmu published

BERLIN -- The first complete German version of the first volume of the Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) has been published in Germany recently.

A herbology and nature masterpiece, the Bencao Gangmu compiled by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was the first book in the world that scientifically categorized medicinal herbs. It was a pioneering work that advanced traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmaceutical theory.

The publication of the book has filled a gap in the knowledge of German students of traditional Chinese medicine and has further promoted cultural exchanges between China and Germany.

The Bencao Gangmu has been translated into multiple language versions.

Chinese scholar Zhou Hengxiang said that the book introduces the basic theory of TCM and other TCM classics and figures mentioned in the first volume of Bencao Gangmu are also introduced in the form of appendix.