Most TCM material online is either a sales page or a textbook scan. This is a structured, bilingual reference: what the concepts actually mean, where they come from, and where the evidence is thin. Core terms are also cross-referenced in 4 further languages, because terminology is the first wall most learners hit. It is free, it needs no sign-up, and it is built to be read — then, if you want treatment, go to someone licensed.
The mental model the rest of TCM is built on — and where it is honest about its own limits.
Described so you can follow a consultation, not so you can diagnose yourself.
The twelve primary meridians and the eight extraordinary vessels.
Location, meridian, special category and what the classical texts record.
Category, nature and flavour, traditional role — and the safety notes that matter.
Classical formulas as the literature records them: composition, source and traditional category. Doses are deliberately not listed — they are set by a licensed practitioner. Folk remedies circulate widely; where they appear in the literature they are described as claims to check, never as instructions.
What each method is, what happens in a session, and what the risks are.
The pattern vocabulary you will meet in the literature, described plainly.
The terms that make TCM writing hard to read, with pinyin and the Chinese.
Yin and Yang → Qi → Five Phases. Three concepts, and most TCM writing becomes parseable.
Zang and Fu → the four examinations → the eight principles. Now you can follow what a practitioner is doing and why.
Points and meridian theory → herbs by category → pattern differentiation. Useful as a teaching or patient-explainer resource.
Call your local emergency number. In the United States that is 911. Nothing on this site is a substitute for that call.
A medical tradition from China with roughly two millennia of written record, built on the ideas of Yin and Yang, Qi and the five phases, and organised around meridians, pattern differentiation and a materia medica of herbs.
No. It is an educational and cultural reference. We do not diagnose, prescribe, recommend medicines or doses, or claim to treat or cure anything. For any health concern, consult a licensed healthcare professional.
No — but terminology is where beginners get stuck, because the same Chinese word is translated differently by different authors. Every entry here is bilingual and includes pinyin, so you can connect the English term to the original.
To a licensed practitioner in your own jurisdiction. Licensing rules differ a great deal from country to country and in many places "acupuncturist" is a protected title. Check your local health authority.
Yes. The whole reference is free to read and share, with no sign-up. It is kept free deliberately: the barrier for most people is the terminology, not the price.