Farting in Ancient China: Intestinal Gas in Medicine, Literature, and Daily Life
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) developed over millennia a sophisticated concept of intestinal gas — as an expression of Qi imbalances and digestive health. At the same time, farting is documented in Chinese literature from the Han Dynasty to the Tang period, and folk tales used it as a comic and moral element. A look at history reveals a multi-layered relationship between one of the world's oldest civilizations and a universal bodily phenomenon.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Qi, Xue, and Intestinal Gas
In TCM, intestinal gas (放屁, fàng pì) is seen as an expression of Qi movements in the digestive system. The concept of the 'middle jiao' (中焦, zhōngjiāo) — the middle of the three burners, encompassing the stomach and spleen — is central to digestive health. Stagnant or rebellious Qi in the gastrointestinal area leads to bloating and flatulence. Classical TCM texts like the 'Huangdi Neijing' (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, ca. 200 BCE–100 CE) mention flatulence in connection with Spleen Qi deficiency and damp-heat in the intestines. Treatment: acupuncture points such as ST36 (Zusanli), SP6 (Sanyinjiao), and CV12 (Zhongwan) to regulate intestinal Qi. Herbal formulas such as 'Bao He Wan' (a classical digestive formula) and 'Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang' were and are used specifically against excessive flatulence. The TCM concept thus resembles the medieval European one: intestinal gas must circulate and must not stagnate.
Historical Texts: Flatulence in Chinese Literature
Chinese literature mentions farting less explicitly than medieval European literature, but examples exist. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), prose and anecdote literature ('biji', note books) flourished. The 'Youyang Zazu' (酉阳杂俎) by Duan Chengshi (ca. 863) contains diverse notes on human bodily functions and medical curiosities. In the Song Dynasty (960–1279), narrative literature developed further, and folk tales occasionally used bodily humor as a comic element. The classic Chinese bureaucratic culture with its strict etiquette rules made farting in formal contexts a scandal — an embarrassing fart in front of a mandarin is material for numerous humorous anecdotes in the literature. In the 'Liaozhai Zhiyi' (Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, 1740) by Pu Songling, supernatural tales occasionally use bodily functions as a means of characterization or humor.
Humor and Taboo: The Fart in Chinese Folk Tales
Chinese folk tales and comic stories treat farting as a tool of social demontage — the arrogant official who farts, the strict teacher in an embarrassing situation. These stories operate on the same pattern as European fabliaux: the body undermines social hierarchies, and physicality equalizes. A popular category is the 'involuntary fart in the wrong company' — a theme appearing in both folk literature and in more formal court writing. Simultaneously, Chinese folk medicine had extensive beliefs about the significance of intestinal gas as a health indicator: smell, frequency, and sound were interpreted as diagnostic signs. The folk belief that frequent farting is a sign of good appetite and functioning digestion is more present in Chinese everyday culture than in many Western cultures to this day.
The Pharmacy of Ancient China: Classical Formulas Against Bloating
Chinese pharmacology has a long tradition of treating bloating and digestive ailments. The 'Bencao Gangmu' (本草纲目, Compendium of Materia Medica, 1596) by Li Shizhen — one of the most comprehensive pharmacological works in world history with 1,892 entries — contains detailed descriptions of plants and minerals used against flatulence. These include: fennel (Hui Xiang), ginger (Sheng Jiang), cinnamon bark (Rou Gui), dried tangerine peel (Chen Pi), and hawthorn berries (Shan Zha). Many of these substances have been scientifically investigated and show genuinely carminative (gas-relieving) properties. Modern TCM practice continues to use these classical formulas — in pharmacies across China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Chinese diaspora worldwide, traditional gas remedies are sold that trace back to 16th-century or older recipes.
Did you know?
- The 'Huangdi Neijing' (ca. 200 BCE–100 CE) describes flatulence as an expression of Spleen Qi deficiency and damp-heat in the intestines.
- Li Shizhen's 'Bencao Gangmu' (1596), with 1,892 entries, includes several entries on gas-relieving plants such as fennel, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Chinese folk tales use the involuntary fart in the wrong social setting as a classic instrument of social demontage — similar to European fabliaux.
- The TCM acupuncture points ST36 and CV12 are still used today to regulate intestinal Qi and treat flatulence.
Fun Fact
In the Imperial Forbidden City in Beijing, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, officials faced a particular challenge: audiences with the Emperor could last for hours, freedom of movement was restricted, and the holding of bodily functions was strictly expected. Historians have reported that experienced court officials followed special diets before seeking audience in order to minimize flatulence. An involuntary fart before the Emperor could be career-ending — making the fart one of the strangest political factors of the imperial court.
Sources
- Unschuld, P.U. (1985). Medicine in China: A History of Ideas. University of California Press.
- Li, S. (1596/2003). Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica). Ed. by Luo Xiwen. Foreign Languages Press.
- Needham, J. (1970). Clerks and Craftsmen in China and the West. Cambridge University Press.