A sweeping historical saga centered on the preservation of traditional Chinese medicine, weaving together medical wisdom, human conflicts, and the changes of history. Through the fates of five generations of a family of practitioners, it portrays the legacy, challenges, and renewal of millennia-old Chinese medical wisdom in modern society.
Character Profiles
Core family: The Lu family of Baicaotang, a renowned medical family in Jiangnan
First generation: Lu Jishi (1890–1965)
- A renowned physician in the late Qing and early Republican eras, well versed in The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon and Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases
- Based on real cases: modeled on Zhang Xichun, a renowned physician of the Republic of China era, who used Gypsum and Rice Decoction to treat epidemics
Second generation: Lu Shouren (1925–2003)
- A pioneer in combining Chinese and Western medicine, who used Chinese medicine to treat wounded soldiers during the War of Resistance Against Japan
- Real case: used acupuncture anesthesia to assist with surgery, inspired by the first public demonstration of Chinese medical anesthesia in 1958
Third generation: Lu Mingyuan (1962– )
- A contemporary practitioner of Chinese medicine, faced with the challenges of Western medicine’s advance and the marginalization of Chinese medicine
- A conflicted character: he remains committed to his family’s teachings, yet longs for acceptance in the modern age
Fourth generation: Lu Xiaoyue (1995– )
- A Chinese medicine practitioner born in the 1990s, returning after studying overseas
- An innovator who uses modern technology to interpret the theories of Chinese medicine
Fifth generation: Lu Xiaocao (2025– )
- A new generation, symbolizing the possibilities that lie ahead for Chinese medicine
Key Supporting Characters
- Chen Xilin: A Western medicine specialist who goes from skepticism to cooperation
- Lin Suwen: An herbalist who safeguards traditional processing techniques
- Wu Qiming: A medicinal herb merchant who represents the conflict between commerce and the medical way
