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Bushen and Longevity in Chinese Culture

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Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging

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Synonyms

Boosting up the body; Health wellness; Tips for longevity; Yangsheng (养生)

Definition

Bushen (补身) is the popular Chinese idea of keeping the body strong by way of consuming food considered good for health and longevity (Huang 1983; Lu 1977). Bushen dietetics aims at replenishing the essential elements of the body that is either insufficient when one is born or depleted in daily life (Huang 1983). It is a more literal and narrower Chinese concept of health than Yangsheng (养生) (see entry Yangsheng and longevity in Chinese culture), the holistic idea and practices for the cultivation of individual well-being. The rationale of Bushen dietetics is rooted in Chinese medical theory – the worldview of Qi, Yin-Yang, and the five elements, Jin (gold), Mu (wood), Shui (water), Huo (fire), and Tu (earth), and their correspondence to the five storage organs known as Zang, and six hollow organs known as Fu (Huang 1983; Zhu 1995). Zang and Fuare conceptions of organs in Chinese medical...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. United International College, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai, China

    Siu Han Chan

Authors
  1. Siu Han Chan
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Correspondence to Siu Han Chan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Population Division, UN Dept of Economic Social Affairs Population Division, New York, NY, USA

    Danan Gu

  2. Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Matthew E. Dupre

Section Editor information

  1. Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York, NY, USA

    Danan Gu

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Chan, S.H. (2019). Bushen and Longevity in Chinese Culture. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_917-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_917-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69892-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-69892-2

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