The raise and transformation of Bian Que's status from Song to Qing dynasty

Abstract

Bian Que rose from a common human being to animmortal worshipped by the people since Han dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, Emperor Renzong of Song bestowed on Bian Que ShenYing Hou(Marquis), then ShenYing Gong(Duke), and built a temple for Bian Que. The Imperial Medical Service of Song enacted a law in which he was the god of the medical profession and a primary worship, with Qi Bo accompanied.After the downfall of the Northern Song dynasty, in the same way, Emperor Gaozong of Song also built the temple for Bian Que in Lin'an, the capital of Southern Song. And in the north, the physicians in Jin dynasty still worshiped Bian Que.But when it came to Yuan dynasty, The Three Sovereigns (Fu Xi, Shennong, Yellow Emperor) were regarded the Fathers of physicians, with ten famous physicians as subordinate worship, Bian Que was not among the them.At first, Ming dynasty followed Yuan, until the Jiajing reign, Bian Que became a subordinate worship, belonged to the new added 18 famous physicians. The Qing dynasty basically followed the Ming.In conclusion, Bian Que was considered as one of inheritors of medicine, and downgraded from primary worship to subordinate worship during the Ming and Qing dynasties.