Liàn dān shù (English spelling)

Japanese: 練丹術 - れんたんじゅつ（英語表記）liàn dān shù

A technique for producing elixirs using cinnabar as the main ingredient. It was believed that taking the elixir would turn one into an immortal sage, and that the high-grade elixir would simply turn into gold. Thus, elixir art is also known as alchemy in China. Li Shaojun, a Taoist priest who worked secretly in the court of Emperor Wu of Han, is said to have preached that "if one uses the power of demons to transform cinnabar into gold and then use that gold to make drinking and eating vessels, one will live a long life." It was believed that the gold produced by the power of demons contained a mysterious power greater than that of natural gold.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

丹砂を主要な材料として丹薬を製造する術。丹薬を服用すれば長生不死の仙人となることができ，丹薬の高級品はそのまま黄金に変化すると考えられた。したがって，練丹術は中国における錬金術でもある。漢の武帝の宮廷に暗躍した方士の李少君は，〈鬼神を駆使して丹砂を黄金に変え，その黄金で飲食の器を作れば益寿がかなう〉と説いたと伝えられ，鬼神の力によって作りだされる黄金には，自然の黄金にまさる神秘な力がひそむと考えられたのであった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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