This project attempts to venture beyond previous paradigms of disease and medical research that focused on Chinese medicine theory and practice, causes of diseases, typology, and dynastic qualities of the history of medicine. The proposed approach is to study image data collated from the Ming Dynasty’s Zhengtong Daozang, with a particular focus on how futu (Taoism charms) for curing diseases were applied in the Taoist system of medicine, what traits can be specified, and how it is associated with the tradition of Taoist talismanic healing known as the chu-yu.

Religious diagrams come in a variety of types. Medicine and illustrations in the system of Taoism, for instance, are not limited to a narrowly defined group that some would describe as iconic images, but also include images that center around diagrammatic representations derived from or inspired by the human body. Some examples include models of the human body (e.g., jingmai maps, neijing tu, or inner landscape diagrams), representations of meditation, charms, and numinous diagrams. Complexities to be considered include the sources and contexts of these images, their use, circulation, social impact, and symbolism. When assessed in ensemble, the outcome will create an opportunity for a multi-dimensional appreciation of the tradition of Taoist medicine, particularly how it confronts disease-induced impact and long-term implications to societies.

This project takes the longue-durée approach best for observing evolutionary trajectories. The Taoist Canon Images Database developed by the Academia Sinica Center for Digital Cultures provides the informational framework for this project’s research. Images of or related to medical charms in the Taoist Canon are collated and built into a corpus, along with other relevant charms pertaining to Taoist elements gleaned from Chinese medicine texts. Following the building of a data collection, image recognition, comparison, and search-by-image applications are used to assist in the analysis and interpretation of Taoist charms, focusing on their structural traits and core elements embedded within the healing charms. Finally, this project will provide a comprehensive discussion of the multivarious applications identified in the Taoist Canon’s bio-healing imageries, in addition to an assessment of the relationship between such applications and Chinese traditional medicine.