The position of Yellow Emperor's Classics in Chinese medicine may be compared to that of Plato's Republic in Western philosophy and that of Shakespeare in English literature, for the good reason that the classic in question had, since its first publication, become the most authoritative guidance for the practice of Chinese medicine. It had become the foundations of Chinese medicine in the same way as the thought of Confucius had become the foundations of Chinese philosophy. Very few, if any, Chinese physicians of traditional Chinese medicine would challenge the basic contents of this celebrated classic to this day.
Chinese medical classics published after Yellow Emperor's Classics always made numerous references to it, and for that reason, it would be easier for anyone to understand Chinese medical classics after reading through the contents of Yellow Emperor's Classics. Some Chinese physicians held the view that after one had read through Yellow Emperor's Classics from cover to cover and understood its contents thoroughly, it would be like climbing to the top of a mountain with a clear view of the surrounding regions from the top.
