Understanding Sex in Chinese Culture

Sex in the Yellow Emperor’s Basic Questions: Sex, Longevity, and Medicine in Early China

by Jessieca Leo

220 pages, illustrated (12 illustrations, b/w), January 2011, ISBN 978-1-931483-18-6
Paperback 29.95 USD (prepublication special, until January 31, US $25.00)

Description: Why sex and sexuality in the Yellow Emperor’s Basic Questions (Suwen)? The Suwen, the oldest medical text in China, compiled around the beginning of the Common Era, is still highly relevant today.

Jessieca Leo’s work is a study of sexuality as an aspect of medical knowledge with particular reference to the social and literary context of the Han period. She begins with an overview of the study and research of sexual culture of ancient and early China and examines how Suwen theories were developed and transmitted. Then the work outlines traditional views of the reproductive process, including concepts of sexual maturity, conception, fertility, and declining powers. It provides detailed analyses of traditional anatomy and ancient understanding of procreation. The book also deals with healthcare, examining how bedchamber arts can help to prevent and cure diseases, including but not limited to sexual maladies and the consequences of over-indulgence. Finally, it looks at sex and health within Suwen medical theories as part of an emerging new understanding of medical theory and knowledge.
Thoroughly researched and well founded, the book is a pleasure to reading and easy to understand. Its rich presentation of how sexual culture was perceived in early China contributes greatly to a better understanding of Chinese history and culture and also of human nature.
The Author: Jessieca Leo obtained her B. Sc. in Chemistry and Economics from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand and her M.A. in Sinology from the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. Her areas of interest include History of Chinese Medicine, Chinese Art and Archaeology, Mongolian, and Hakka Studies.

Praise: This book is fascinating, deep, essential reading for anyone interested in sex as the hidden force ruling bodily and spiritual health. . . . I have been reading works in this field for thirty years and was amazed at how much new Jessieca Leo had to teach me. . . . This is a book you will literally take to bed. —Michael Winn, Healing Tao USA

Jessieca Leo examines a part of the Chinese classical medical tradition that has until now received little attention. . . . This book deserves a place on the shelves of all scholars of the ancient Chinese medical traditions. —Stephen Jackowicz, Adelphi University

Jessieca Leo presents an excellent and detailed study of the earliest systematic thought about the physical, physiological, psychological, and environmental aspects of sexuality and how they are related to longevity. . . . I highly recommend it to everyone interested in the sexual culture of China. —Dominique Hertzer, University of Munich

Jessieca Leo has opened our eyes to a fascinating aspect of early Chinese thought that Westerners seldom have access to. . . Anyone interested in Chinese history and culture will find it hugely enlightening. —Richard Bannerman, BBC Producer

Jessieca Leo traces sex and sexuality in early China in sources that have long been neglected. Clear language and new translations from the Yellow Emperor’s Basic Questions guide readers on an interesting track into a basic aspect of Chinese history and culture. —Rodo Pfister, University of Basel

Jessieca Leo’s book is a truly remark-able achievement. Leo successfully combines philological precision with fresh analyses. It is easy to read and a pleasure to digest. Highly recommended. —Burkhard Scherer, Christ Church University

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