Dong Bi was born near Hushan in his later years in qi zhou, Hubei Province (now qi zhou Town, Qichun County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province), a Han nationality. Born in the 13th year of Zheng De, Emperor Wuzong of Ming Dynasty (A.D. 15 18), he died in the 22nd year of Wanli, Zongshen (A.D. 1593), and his father Li Yanwen was a local famous doctor. Li Shizhen inherited family studies, attached importance to materia medica, was full of practical learning spirit, and was willing to learn from working people. At the age of 38, Li Shizhen was called by the King of Chu to Wang Fu as a "temple official" in Wuchang to take charge of the affairs of the good doctor's office. Three years later, he was recommended by his wife's hospital to go to Beijing for sentencing. Thai Hospital is a medical institution specially serving the imperial court. It was messed up by some quacks at that time. Li Shizhen worked here for only one year, then resigned and returned to China. Li Shizhen consulted more than 800 books on medicine and its academic research in past dynasties, and combined with his own experience and investigation, compiled a book "Compendium of Materia Medica", which lasted for 27 years and was a summary masterpiece of pharmacology before the Ming Dynasty in China. It has been highly praised at home and abroad, and translated or abridged versions have appeared in several languages. Another author is Hu Ling Pulse.
The Li family has been doctors for generations, and grandpa is "Dr. Bell". The father of Li Yanwen, the first person in yuechi county, is a local famous doctor. At that time, the status of folk doctors was very low. The Li family is often bullied by officials and gentry. Therefore, the father decided to let his second son, Li Shizhen, go to school and take exams, so that he could succeed once and get ahead. Li Shizhen was sickly since childhood, but his personality was straightforward and pure, and he disdained learning boring eight-part essay. In the nine years since 14 was admitted to the Jinshi, he went to Wuchang three times, with an average name of Sun Shan. So, he gave up his plan to be an official in the imperial examination and concentrated on studying medicine, so he asked his father for instructions and showed his determination: "Sailing against the current, my heart is stronger than stone. I hope that my father will aim high and not be afraid of difficulties until he dies. " Li Yuechi finally woke up in front of the cold facts, agreed to his son's request and taught him carefully. In a few years, Li Shizhen really became a famous doctor.