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‘Magical’ dew collected today protects health
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Dew gathered this morning is especially precious since it’s considered a gift from Heavenly Doctors that protect Chinese people from ailments.
The Heavenly Doctors Festival (Tian Yi Jie ÌìÒ½½Ú) today is celebrated on the first day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
On this day, two legendary healers are worshipped, Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) and his medical adviser Qi Bo. Both are said to have introduced what is now called traditional Chinese medicine. Both are said to have lived more than 4,000 years ago.
According to tradition, people around China collect morning dew and make medicinal foods with the liquid. The dew may be placed on children’s foreheads and chests to protect them from diseases.
The festival is originated from the worship of the Yellow Emperor and Qi, who are believed to be the ancestors of traditional Chinese doctors.
Qi, who became a famous doctor, was interested in observing the natural world and wanted to study medicine to help people around him who were ailing. He talked to healers, collecting their wisdom and crated his own medical theories.
The Yellow Emperor, a great tribal leader who defeated all rivals, took Qi as his teacher and discussed medical problems in order to protect his people from disease.
Their questions and answers on health maintenance and medication represent a large part of “Huang Di Nei Jing” (“The Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor” 黄帝内经), which is said to be the foundation of TCM. The book is also the earliest record of the two legendary men, who are worshipped as gods by many Chinese.
Because of their great contribution to TCM, Chinese people tend to refer to TCM as “Qi Huang Zhi Shu” (歧黄之术), literally the skill or art of Qi and Huang,
Temples for Qi and Huang can still be found around China today, and they are frequently visited, especially on the Heavenly Doctors Festival.
Dew gathered this morning is believed to be a magical liquid that can improve eyesight and prevent disease. People collect dew in a small silk bag and rub it gently against the eyes.
Though few people maintain the tradition of eye rubbing with morning dew, some still make delicate silk bags that have been soaked in dew. They are given as gifts, with wishes of good health.
Dian bai bing (点百病) — dot hundreds of diseases away — is a tradition on the festival. Mothers or grandmothers collect dew and use it to grind ink. It is then dotted on the foreheads and chests of children at noon, to protect their health. The tradition is called tian jiu (天灸) or heavenly moxibustion in some regions.
Foods made with dew collected today are said to have medicinal properties.
Peach leaf paste is a traditional festival food. Old peach leaves are cooked together with collected dew, making a decoction. After filtering, the decoction is cooked again with brown sugar and other herbs, until it becomes a thick paste. It is said to promote energy flow and tackle energy stagnation in the digestive system.
Other festival foods also include ma chi xian (herba portulacae, or commom purslane 马齿苋), millet cake, and simple rice cooked with the dew.
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