Abstract: Many scholars believe that Dong Zhongshu has both Yin and Yang thoughts and Five Elements thoughts,and believe that Dong Zhongshu uses the Five Elements to infer Yin and Yang and explain disasters.The complete statement of Dong Zhongshus “beginning to infer Yin and Yang” in “Hanshu:Five Elements” is “inferring Yin and Yang to explain disasters and anomalies”,which means using the theory of Yin and Yang to explain the occurrence of disasters and anomalies,rather than using Five Elements to infer Yin and Yang.According to Dong Zhongshus documents that have not been falsified,in Dong Zhongshus thoughts,Yin and Yang are the theoretical basis for his discussion of punishments and virtues,monarchs and ministers,the four seasons,and disasters;while the words “Five Elements” are mentioned accidentally due to the influence of popular concepts,and this cannot be considered that he has Five Elements thoughts.Of course,Dong Zhongshu did not combine Yin and Yang with the Five Elements.Although Dong Zhongshus writings on disasters and anomalies are mainly collected in “Hanshu:Five Elements”,Dong Zhongshus theory of explaining disasters and anomalies is not the Five Elements,but the “original providence” and the “inference of Yin and Yang”.

Key words: Dong Zhongshu, Yin and Yang, Five Elements, disasters and anomalies