The acupuncture bronze figure was an important tool for acupuncture education and research in ancient China. Its principle was mainly reflected in two aspects: the location of meridians and acupoints and clinical simulation training. The most famous acupuncture bronze figure in history appeared during the Northern Song Dynasty and was made under the supervision of Wang Weiyi. Bronze figures are cast in proportion to real people. Their body surfaces are marked with the directions of meridians and the locations of acupoints, and holes are drilled at the acupoints. The inner cavities are hollow and can be sealed with mercury or wax. When the trainee accurately inserts the needle at the designated acupoint, mercury will flow out, which serves as a verification of whether the operation is correct or not. This ingenious design has transformed acupuncture teaching from abstract text and diagrams into intuitive practical exercises, significantly enhancing the learning outcome.

In principle, the acupuncture bronze figure is not only a microcosm of the human meridian system, but also a scientific attempt to simulate clinical operations through physical mechanisms. It combines the theory of meridians in traditional Chinese medicine with practical exercises, solving the problem that "acupoints are difficult to understand intuitively" in ancient teaching. Meanwhile, the structure of the copper figure can be reused repeatedly, avoiding the risks and inconveniences brought by direct operation on the human body.

The emergence of the acupuncture bronze figure not only promoted the standardization of acupuncture education in traditional Chinese medicine but also laid an important foundation for the development of acupuncture studies in later generations. It embodies the wisdom of ancient medical experts in integrating theory with practice and still holds profound educational and cultural value to this day.