The earliest records of the name of "Wuqinxi" are The History of the Later Han Dynasty and The History of the Three Kingdoms, which were also mentioned in Tao Hongjing's Health Record in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It is said that Wuqinxi was invented by Hua Tuo, a famous doctor in Han Dynasty, but some people think that Hua Tuo was the organizer of Wuqinxi, and there were many similar fitness methods before Han Dynasty. There are more than 40 postures in the guide map unearthed from Mawangdui No.3 Han Tomb, which is a summary of Taoist sounds in the pre-Qin period.

According to legend, Wuqinxi is a set of medical qigong created by Hua Tuo, a famous doctor in the Eastern Han Dynasty, imitating the movements of five animals, namely tiger, deer, bear, ape and crane, to prevent and cure diseases and prolong life. It is a bionic achievement method, which is characterized by "external movement and internal quietness", "seeking quietness in movement" and "both movement and static", combining rigidity and flexibility, and both internal and external repair.