Imperial Power and Medicine: Ingot and Its Equipment Made by Qing Palace during Yongzheng Period
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study aims to explore the Qing court’s emphasis on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) culture and technology, as well as the role of ingots as a carrier of imperial medical culture. By systematically sorting out the types, quantities, and shapes of medicinal ingots recorded in Huo Ji Dang (活计档 Archives of Imperial Workshops) during the 13-year Yongzheng reign, and by combining these records with existing ingot-related molds, physical specimens, and other collections in the Palace Museum, this research finds that: the Yongzheng Emperor incorporated ingots into the production list of the Imperial Workshop and established standardized preparation procedures, making them a technical practice for displaying imperial power; the fixed system of rewarding ingots during the Dragon Boat Festival turned ingots into a product of Manchu-Han cultural integration and formed a custom; the evolution of ingot equipment was dynamically related to military activities in the mid-Qing dynasty, confirming its function in court politics; and the integration of the preparation and packaging process of ingots into the power operation system, and transforming TCM-related knowledge and technology into means of exercising power, constructed a materialized path for imperial power to regulate the bureaucratic system and social order. The conclusion reveals the inherent logic of the Qing court: establishing authoritative identity through material culture.
Source: Chinese Medicine and Culture
Authors: Haotian LI, Yanjun LIU
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7119479126
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