1. Imperial Medical Bureau (Taiyi Yuan)
Established in the Tang Dynasty and continued into the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), this was the official medical institution of the imperial court. It trained physicians and provided healthcare services to the royal family and government officials.
2. Temple Clinics (Yi Guan)
Buddhist and Taoist temples often served as centers for healing. Monks practiced medicine, blending spiritual healing with herbal treatments and acupuncture.
3. Local Physicians and Apothecaries
Medicine was largely decentralized, with respected local physicians practicing traditional Chinese medicine across different regions. Some famous physicians of the Ming Dynasty, such as Li Shizhen, greatly advanced medical knowledge. His work, Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), compiled in the 16th century, is one of the most important texts in the history of Chinese medicine.
4. Traditional Healing Houses
Informal medical houses or clinics were set up in villages and towns where traditional Chinese doctors practiced. These were not "hospitals" by today's standards but were centers for medical treatment based on herbs, acupuncture, and other traditional methods.
5. Confucian Charitable Pharmacies (Yizhen)
Charitable institutions funded by wealthy patrons provided free or low-cost medical care and medicines to the poor, often based on Confucian ideals of helping the less fortunate.
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