  According to his autobiography (Baopuzi waipian, ch. 50; Sailey 1978, 242–272; Ware (1966, 6–21), in his youth he studied the Confucian classics, but at the same time, became interested in quasi-medical techniques for nourishing the body with the goal of achieving immortality. He became a student of the alchemical master Zheng Yin 鄭隱 (c.215-c.302 CE), and remained his disciple for some fifteen years. After brief success, he abandoned a military career to go to the capital at Luoyang to search for books on immortals. After difficulties during the political unrest in the south, Ge Hong entirely gave up political life and devoted himself to immortality practices. In 316 he returned to the north and was named a marquis by the Eastern Jin court and took up an administrative post. On learning that cinnabar had been discovered in the south (in present day North Vietnam), he secured a position as magistrate in the south in Guangxi, where he settled at Mt. Luofu 羅浮 and began the study of alchemy, remaining there until his death (Sailey 1978, 277–78; Ware 1981; Wells 2003).