The Yu Chang 喻昌

Yu Chang was a native of Xinjian (now part of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province) during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

His courtesy name was Jiayan, and his literary name was Xichang Laoren (Elder of Xichang).

In his early years, he became a Taoist Priest. He met an extraordinary person who taught him the method of internal cultivation. Yu Chang had a passion for reading, engaged in self-study of Chan (Zen) Buddhism principles, and had an extensive knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics (the core Confucian classics). In his spare time, he studied medical theories, mastered pharmacology and acupuncture, and was skilled in the external alchemy of Taoism—specifically the technique of smelting red gold and silver. He often used this gold and silver to relieve the poverty-stricken.

During the Chongzhen reign period, he was selected as a tribute student and went to the capital. In the early years of the Shunzhi reign (Note: There may be an error in the original text; the Shunzhi reign began in 1644, so "1611" is likely incorrect), he returned to Changshu and settled at Yushan Mountain. He practiced medicine there and gained great fame in the Jiangnan region (the area south of the Yangtze River).

His works include: Yimen Falü (The Laws of Medical Practice, in 6 volumes), Yuyi Cao (Draft of Implied Meanings, in 1 volume), Shanghan Dawen (Answers to Questions on Febrile Diseases Caused by Cold, in 1 volume), Gu Fang (Ancient Prescriptions, in 4 volumes), Shanglun Pian (Discourses on the Classics, in 8 volumes), Shanglun Houpian (Sequel to Discourses on the Classics, in 4 volumes), and Wenzheng Yulu (Collected Sayings on Warm Syndrome, in 1 volume), among others.