Dzou Yen, or Zou Yan, was an admired alchemist from China born in 305 BC. China was the third independent location to discover and pursue the study of Alchemy with Dzou Yen at the forefront. He lived during the Zhou dynasty. At the height of his popularity, during the 4th century BC, he was credited with many things including being an incredibly talented and intelligent human being. He was remembered as being just as, or nearly as, skilled as Nicholas Flamel in the ways of alchemy.
His main alchemical claim to fame is the possibility that he was able to transmute base metals to noble metals, the feat which made him as famous an alchemist as Flamel, as this was something only these two are rumored to have been able to achieve. His writings were very influential to the Chinese. They laid the foundation for both healing and geomancy as they were practiced in China. He also recorded his thoughts and philosophies on the 5 Chinese elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) as well as the importance of ying and yang to these elements. Unfortunately, his recordings of his findings were very difficult to understand. …show more content…
Firstly, he studied at a state-run university, called the Jixia Academy. The idea of academies, both magical and mundane, for any number of subjects is still a practice very much alive in today’s day and age. Secondly, his study of the elements is obviously something still prevalent today, although they may be different elements from what he was accustomed to. Also, the simple fact that we still value the study of alchemy and have alchemists would be something very familiar to him. Lastly, if he were to pick up his study of the elements, he would be able to pick up right where he left of; the continue to use the same 5 elements he studied during 300