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Hua Tuo, also known as Fu, with the courtesy name Yuanhua, was born around the first year of Yongxi of Emperor Chong of Han (145 AD) and died in the thirteenth year of Jian'an of Emperor Xian of Han (208 AD). He was a native of Qiao County, Pei State, Yuzhou (now Bo County, Anhui) during the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

The Hua family was originally a prominent clan, with one of its descendants settling in the picturesque Xiaohua Village, more than ten miles north of Qiao County. By the time of Hua Tuo, the family had declined, but they still held great expectations for him. From a young age, Hua Tuo diligently studied and recited ancient texts such as the "Book of Documents," "Book of Songs," "Book of Changes," "Book of Rites," and "Spring and Autumn Annals," gradually acquiring a high level of cultural literacy. While studying the classics and history, Hua Tuo also paid attention to medicine. He "mastered several classics and understood the art of nurturing life." At that time, Chen Gui, the Chancellor of Pei State, and Huang Wan, the Grand Commandant, successively recommended or summoned him to serve as an official, but he politely declined.

The era in which Hua Tuo lived was the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the early Three Kingdoms period. At that time, the government was corrupt, warlords were in chaos, floods and droughts caused disasters, and pestilence was rampant. The people were plunged into deep suffering. Witnessing the corruption of the officialdom and the suffering of the masses, Hua Tuo resolved to abandon his political career and save the world through medicine.

Hua Tuo practiced medicine without a fixed teacher, mainly by meticulously studying ancient medical texts and continuously researching and advancing through practice. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, Chinese medicine had already achieved remarkable accomplishments. Medical classics such as the "Huangdi Neijing," "Huangdi Bashiyi Nan Jing," and "Shennong Bencao Jing" had been published, and the principles of the "four examinations" (observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking) and treatment methods such as conduction exercise, acupuncture and moxibustion, and herbal medicine had been established and widely used. Building on the academic achievements and experiences of his predecessors, Hua Tuo established new theories. Ancient physicians such as Bian Que from the Warring States period, Cang Gong from the Western Han Dynasty, Fu Weng and Cheng Gao from the Eastern Han Dynasty, as well as his contemporary Zhang Zhongjing, greatly influenced Hua Tuo's medical development.

In addition to systematically learning ancient medical experiences, Hua Tuo also highly valued and applied folk medical knowledge. In his middle age, due to the turmoil in the Central Plains, he "traveled to study in Xu." While collecting herbs everywhere, he paid attention to learning and absorbing folk medical knowledge and applied many folk prescriptions he gathered to clinical practice.

Hua Tuo's medical practice spanned the regions of Xu, Yu, Qing, and Yan during his time. Based on the place names mentioned in his medical records, his practice was centered around Pengcheng, extending east to Ganling (now Linqing, Shandong) and Yandu (now Yancheng, Jiangsu), west to Zhao Ge (now Qi County, Henan), south to Guangling (now Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and southwest to Qiao County (now Bo County, Anhui), covering a vast area of present-day Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui provinces, spanning hundreds of square kilometers. While practicing medicine, Hua Tuo also traveled to Zhao Ge, Pei State, Feng County (now Feng County, Jiangsu), Woniushan in Pengcheng, the mountainous areas of southern Lu, and Weishan Lake to collect herbs. Due to his extensive travels and deep engagement with the people, Hua Tuo became one of the most legendary physicians in Chinese history.

Hua Tuo devoted his life to medical practice, achieving a masterful level of medical skill. He was proficient in various treatment methods such as health preservation, herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, and surgery. In the clinical diagnosis and treatment of internal, external, gynecological, and pediatric diseases, he created many medical miracles. He had unique insights and outstanding achievements in disease diagnosis, treatment, and physical health care. Regarding this, the "Records of the Three Kingdoms" and the "Book of the Later Han" contain similar evaluations, stating that he "understood the art of nurturing life, and people of his time believed he was nearly a hundred years old yet had the appearance of a robust man," "was also skilled in herbal medicine, treating diseases with only a few types of decoctions, intuitively understanding the dosage without needing to measure, boiling and drinking them, and instructing on the regimen, often leading to recovery," "when using acupuncture, it was only one or two points, and upon inserting the needle, he would say, 'it should reach a certain point, and when it does, tell me,' and when the patient said 'it has reached,' he would immediately remove the needle, and the illness would improve," "performed surgeries on the abdomen and back, removing abdominal masses," and "cut and washed intestines." The medical cases he left behind include 16 in the "Records of the Three Kingdoms," five in the "Biography of Hua Tuo," and five in other documents, totaling 26 cases, which is a significant number among pre-Qin and Han dynasty physicians. From the scope of Hua Tuo's treatments, internal diseases included sexually transmitted diseases, visceral diseases, mental illnesses, obesity, and Chinese Taxillus Herb parasitic diseases. Diseases in the external, pediatric, and gynecological fields included trauma, intestinal abscesses, tumors, fractures, acupuncture errors, lactation issues, dead fetus, and pediatric diarrhea, among others. Later generations often praised physicians as "Hua Tuo reincarnated" or "Yuanhua reborn," demonstrating the profound impact of his legacy.

Hua Tuo is particularly renowned worldwide for creating "Mafeisan" (a clinical anesthetic), performing abdominal surgeries, and developing the physical therapy known as the "Five Animal Frolics."

In the 2nd century AD, Hua Tuo invented "Mafeisan" for general anesthesia to perform abdominal surgeries. According to the "Book of the Later Han: Biography of Hua Tuo," it is recorded: "If the disease is deeply rooted internally and cannot be reached by acupuncture or medicine, he would first have the patient drink Mafeisan with wine. Once the patient was unconscious, he would cut open the abdomen or back to remove the abdominal mass. If the disease was in the intestines or stomach, he would cut, wash, and remove the diseased parts, then suture the wound and apply vitreous humor. The wound would heal in four to five days, and complete recovery would occur within a month." Hua Tuo was the first person in the world to perform surgery using general anesthesia, predating the Western invention of anesthesia by over 1600 years. In the Ming Dynasty, Chen Jia-mo's "Bencao Mengquan" quoted a poem from "Lidai Mingyi Tuzan" summarizing Hua Tuo's achievements: "In Wei, there was Hua Tuo, who established the field of surgery, removing bones to cure diseases, with miraculous effects." It is evident that later generations revered Hua Tuo as the "Sage of Surgery" and the "Founder of Surgery," titles that are well-deserved. Unfortunately, the wine-administered Mafeisan created by Hua Tuo was later lost, which is a significant loss in the history of Chinese medicine.

Hua Tuo also actively advocated for reasonable labor and physical exercise, believing that life lies in movement, and that exercise promotes health and longevity. He often taught his disciples and the people around him: "The human body needs activity, but it should not be overexerted. Movement helps digest food, promotes blood circulation, and prevents diseases, just like a door hinge that never rusts." Building on the ancient practice of conduction exercises, Hua Tuo imitated the movements of five animals—tiger, deer, bear, monkey, and bird—to create a set of exercises called the "Five Animal Frolics." This exercise routine helps to move and stretch the head, body, waist, back, limbs, and joints. It is the oldest medical exercise in China and pioneered the practice of medical and health exercises in China and the world. His disciple Wu Pu, who practiced the "Five Animal Frolics," lived to over ninety years old with "sharp senses and strong teeth." Another disciple, Fan A, who also practiced the "Five Animal Frolics," lived to be over a hundred years old. The "Five Animal Frolics" has had a profound influence, with many people practicing it throughout history, and it continues to be studied today. Therefore, Hua Tuo and his "Five Animal Frolics" hold a highly esteemed position in the history of sports and health preservation, with the "Frolics" spreading far and wide, renowned across the four seas.

In his later years, Hua Tuo was summoned by Cao Cao to Xuchang to treat his recurrent headaches. However, Hua Tuo, unwilling to serve as Cao Cao's personal physician, made excuses to return home and repeatedly refused to go back to Xuchang, ultimately leading to his execution by Cao Cao.

Before his death, Hua Tuo still remembered his mission to save the world and its people. He took out his medical book, "Qingnang Jing," and handed it to a prison officer for safekeeping, saying, "This book, if passed down, can save countless lives." However, "the officer, fearing the law, did not dare to accept it." Hua Tuo, with no other choice, had to "burn it with fire." As a result, Hua Tuo's works were never passed down. The existing book "Zhongcang Jing" is said to have been written by Hua Tuo, and a man named Deng Chuzhong, who claimed to be Hua Tuo's nephew, wrote a preface for it, stating that the book was found among Hua Tuo's belongings. However, after verification, it was not written by Hua Tuo. As for "Hua Tuo's Secret Medical Transmission" and "Hua Tuo's Divine Prescriptions," both are forgeries.

Hua Tuo had many disciples throughout his life, among whom Fan A from Pengcheng, Wu Pu from Guangling, and Li Dangzhi from Xi'an were particularly renowned. Wu Pu authored "Wu Pu's Materia Medica," Li Dangzhi wrote "Li Dangzhi's Medical Records," and Fan A excelled in acupuncture and moxibustion. These three disciples later became famous physicians.