bubble_chart Description

His childhood name was Jing, and he was from Anding Chaona (now Pingliang, Gansu, or alternatively Lingtai (GV10)). Later, he moved to Xin'an, Henan (near present-day Mianchi County, Henan) with his uncle. His great-grandfather was the Han Dynasty Grand Commandant Huang-fu Song, but by the time of Huang-fu Mi, the family had fallen into poverty. In his youth, he was not fond of studying, but after the age of twenty, he became determined to learn, even to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep, eventually becoming a renowned scholar of his time. The Book of Jin‧Biography of Huang-fu Mi states that he "had lofty aspirations and devoted himself to writing." Lin Dang, in the preface to Jiayi Jing, praised him as "well-versed in the classics and the works of various schools, calm and with few desires." At that time, Emperor Wu of Jin summoned him to serve in the court, but he politely declined. In his Exhortation to Study, he expressed his desire to pursue medicine and his admiration for ancient physicians such as Bian Que, Cang Gong, Hua Tuo, and Zhang Zhong-jing, lamenting that he "was not born in their time." Emperor Wu, valuing his talent, bestowed upon him many books. Due to his frail health and years of overwork, he also became involved in the contemporary trend of taking medicine, eventually suffering from migratory impediment, which caused his right foot to shrink, bringing him great pain and nearly driving him to suicide. From then on, he resolved to study medicine, eventually mastering classical formulas and achieving great skill. (Huang-fu MiZhenjiu Jiayi Jing‧Preface by Lin Dang People's Medical Publishing House facsimile edition 1995). Reflecting on this, he remarked, "If one does not master the art of medicine, even with a heart full of loyalty and filial piety, and a nature of benevolence, when the ruler or father is in peril, or a child is in deep distress, there is no way to save them. This is why the sages pondered deeply and exhaustively to understand its principles. From this perspective, how can it be neglected?" (Huang-fu MiZhenjiu Jiayi Jing‧Author's Preface People's Medical Publishing House facsimile edition 1995).

Building on existing medical theories, in addition to extensively reading various medical texts, he compiled and organized the acupuncture and moxibustion content from Lingshujing, Suwen, and Nose Acupoints Acupuncture and Moxibustion Essentials, categorizing them by subject, removing redundant and verbose content, and focusing on the essential points, ultimately compiling Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing. This became the first specialized text on acupuncture and moxibustion in Chinese medical history, a must-read for students of acupuncture and moxibustion throughout the ages.

Huang-fu Mi, drawing from his own experiences—such as curing his own wind disorder and deafness in just "a hundred days"—and feeling that the profound meanings of Suwen and Nine Volumes were difficult to understand, put in great effort to ensure his writings were well-organized and accessible to readers. As a result, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing became a pioneering work in acupuncture and moxibustion, highly regarded throughout history. Wang Tao considered Huang-fu Mi to be "profoundly knowledgeable in medical arts" and regarded his work as "a treasure for physicians, to be followed by later scholars." The Siku Quanshu Summary praised Huang-fu Mi's work, stating that it "stands alongside Neijing and should not be neglected." In addition to Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing, Huang-fu Mi also authored numerous works on literature and history, with the more influential ones including Biographies of Noble Scholars, Biographies of Recluses, Xuan Yan's Spring and Autumn, and Chronicles of Emperors and Kings.