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Cited by 20Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal ChangesChinese history and philosophyHistory of Medicine Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 5 of the 5 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The Contents and Terminology of the Mawangdui Texts on the Arts of the Bedchamber

Ling, Li, McMahon, Keith·1992·Early China
DOI 10.1017/s0362502800003709
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Abstract

In the Han, the art of the bedchamber belonged to the disciplines called “prescriptions and techniques,” which also included various medical arts such as nutrition, internal conduction, and associated incantations and spells. This essay investigates the Mawangdui art of the bedchamber texts with special emphasis on their terminology, and briefly addresses the importance of these texts in studying ancient Chinese culture. Seven texts are examined: “Prescriptions for nourishing life,” “Prescriptions for miscellaneous cures,” “Book of childbirth,” “Ten questions,” ’Joining yin and yang” “Prescriptions for miscellaneous spells,” and “Talks on the loftiest ways under heaven.” The terminology found in these works is organized into the following categories: male and female genitals, the steps of foreplay, positions and methods of intercourse, the benefits and harms of intercourse, techniques of ejaculation control, and male and female sexual reactions. The terminology and topical categories of later bedchamber texts are highly consistent with the Mawangdui texts, especially regarding the following three most influential concepts: “the method of nine shallow and one deep,” “ride many young women, but ejaculate rarely,” and “returning jing to supplement the brain.”

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  • The term 'flying seeds' and the character gu are used to name the flying grain.

    “This is one possible interpretation for the use of the term 'flying seeds' ( feishi 飛實 ) and that of the character gu (the graph of a vessel containing worms) to name the flying grain ( gu zhi fei 穀之飛 ).”

    From Enchantment, Charming, and the Notion of the Femme Fatalein Early Chinese Historiography (2013) · cites this paper as [48]

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Metadata

Authors
Ling, L., & McMahon, K.
Affiliations
University of Kansas (US)
ORCID
McMahon, Keith
Venue
Early China
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
1992
Volume
17
Pages
145-185
ISSN
  • 0362-5028 (ISSN-L)
  • 2325-2324
DOI
10.1017/s0362502800003709
OpenAlex
W2493740471
Cited by
20
References
5
Citations by year
2025: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
FWCI
7.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 8485 d)
Locations
Early China (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Chinese history and philosophy
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › History of Medicine Studies
Keywords
sexual vocabulary, Han dynasty, ejaculation control, ancient Chinese culture, Jing

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