.jpg)
This summer, I had the special opportunity to learn for a week at Shen Nong Chinese Medicine Hospital, located in the city of Hohhot in China.
(The Chinese characters say "Shen Nong Chinese Medicine Hospital")
I am extremely grateful to Dr. Kun Liu for giving me this opportunity. She’s been my TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctor for the past two years, and my health has not only improved, but I maintained great health by following her guidance.
I was already interested in TCM before I met her, and after meeting her, I gained even more faith in TCM. She's able to use English and western medicine concepts to explain Chinese medicine, which really resonates with a westerner like me. I also asked her to give medical advice to my mother, and she really took the time to understand my mother's personality and way of thinking, and she was able to advise my mother to change certain diet and lifestyle factors in a way that resonated with her. After we followed Dr. Liu's advice, we both had noticeable improvements quite quickly. For example, my energy levels were much better, and my mom's various aches and discomforts reduced.
Dr. Liu's expertise and kindness really earned my respect and admiration, so I asked her if there were any TCM books that she'd recommend I read. She recommended a book called "The Foundations of Chinese Medicine" by Giovanni Maciocia. From that book, I learned a lot of TCM foundational knowledge (I'm still in the process of reading it). I'm really grateful that whenever I finished reading a chapter, I would report my learnings and questions to her, and she'd patiently reply each time.
Dr. Liu visits her family in Hohhot, China every summer, and her family runs Shen Nong Hospital there. This year, she asked me if I’m interested in visiting to learn what it’s like at a Chinese Medicine hospital and experience authentic Chinese medicine treatments. I enthusiastically leaped at this opportunity, and it’s been a terrific learning experience for me.
Below, I'll share my experience and learnings from the week. Feel free to click on the table of contents to jump to that section:
During my first day, Dr. Liu gave me a tour of the entire hospital. It was really cool to see a Chinese medicine hospital. The hospital has four floors, and it uses western testing tools to complement Chinese medicine diagnosis, and instead of pills, patients get herbal remedies from the Chinese medicine pharmacy and Chinese medicine treatments.
(Moxibustion treatment room)
(Consultation room)
(Hall with herb display)
(Another floor's hall with a waiting area)
(Herb brewing room)
(Herbal pharmacy)
After the tour, Dr. Liu told me that I can observe and learn at the departments of my choice in the upcoming week. I wanted to go through all the departments, but I didn’t think there would be enough time to really learn in so many departments in a week, so I had to prioritize. I think Tui Na massage is the most fitting for me because I often give massages to my mother at home, as well as to teachers and classmates on campus at the school I'm attending in Fuzhou. Thus, I chose to spend most of my time in the Tui Na department.
1: Tui Na Massage
There are two doctors there: Dr. Su does massage for adults, and Dr. Yun for children. I learned that children’s bodies are different from adults, so they get different massages than adults (sounds obvious when you say it, but I wouldn’t have thought of this if no one told me). Most of the kids that come to Dr. Yun for massage do so for digestive issues, signaling that we as a society need to be more conscientious of healthy eating.
I spent most of my time observing and talking to Dr. Su, who is a huge muscular man with over 20 years of massage experience. His arms are super muscular, and even the area between his thumb and index finger (location of Hegu point) protrudes with muscle.
(Dr. Su massaging a patient)
I told him that I never went through formal TCM school, nor have I had formal massage training. I’m simply a westerner who got really interested in TCM, and I do massage for myself and my mother pretty much every day.
He told me, “Tui Na massage isn’t something you can learn by watching for a couple days. It takes years of practice under the guidance of a teacher. When you watch my movements, it looks really simple, but it’s not easy to do. For example, this rolling method looks simple, but it takes 3 to 5 years to get good at it. The feeling that a patient gets will differ as your technique improves. Patients don’t like being massaged by new students because when the teacher gives the massage, it’s really comfortable, but when the student gives a massage, it’s painful and uncomfortable.”
I replied, “What! I always thought Tui Na massage should be painful because we massage the places with blockages, and when there’s a blockage, there’s bound to be pain, right?”
He said, “Yes, pain in a place signals a blockage in that area, but if you have good massage technique, you can help them unblock that area without making them feel much pain.”
That was a big paradigm shift for me. In the past, I always looked for the painful points on people and massaged those points with more force. As a result, I believed that not many people would like Tui Na massage because it involves pain. But Dr. Su made me realize that professional Tui Na massage isn’t painful yet still very effective. You don't have to use so much force on painful points, and you can use different techniques that are more comfortable. Learning this gave me even more motivation to improve my Tui Na abilities.
Something else I learned from Dr. Su is that posture and form is super important. It’s analogous to weight lifting: before trying to lift heavy weights, first learn proper form. Otherwise, it’s easy to injure yourself. A massage therapist needs to learn proper form, otherwise they’ll wear down their body quickly and even injure themselves.
A third major learning point is that when giving a massage, I should be relaxed. I shouldn’t tense my muscles and use a lot of force from my hands or lower forearms. The force should be a natural force that comes from the movement and rotation of my joints, whether it’s the wrist, elbow, or shoulders. This not only provides more force, but it's also less tiring for the massage therapist. These are all common mistakes that non-professionals make, and I’m really glad Dr. Su pointed these out to me.
Most of Dr. Su’s patients come to him for neck and shoulder problems, signaling that we as a society need to be more cognizant of our desk posture. Aside from neck and shoulder problems, some patients also come for lower back issues. I also got to observe him do a massage for local injuries on the leg.
I asked him how we can prevent these neck and shoulder problems, and he told me that it's really not that complicated: Aside from proper posture, we should get up and do some simple neck and shoulder exercises for a few minutes after sitting at a computer desk for 1-2 hours.
I asked if there are any specific exercises to do. He said, "No, any are fine. It's not that complicated." He then showed me some basic exercises, and indeed, it's just what you'd expect if you searched up "neck and shoulder exercises" on the internet.
Another thing is to not have AC blowing directly onto our necks because that cold wind will enter our body and cause muscles to tense and contract. Also, in TCM, wind is a cause of disease. For example, if you are hot and sweating a lot, then you enter a cold room with AC blowing on your back, it’s easy to catch a cold (I personally experienced this recently).
He usually uses more advanced massage techniques like the hand rolling method and vibration method, as these methods don’t take a lot of energy and are very effective. But he said these are not easy for me to learn, so he took the time to demonstrate to me some beginner massage techniques such as palm pushing and sliding, double finger pushing, and circular massage movements. He also showed me a massage routine for the back and legs, as well as one to aid sleep (I requested this one because a lot of people I met have trouble falling asleep). I recorded videos of all of these, and I look forward to practicing them in the future.
I also asked if there’s a massage procedure for treating colds. He said, “Not really. If you want to treat a cold, Gua Sha and cupping along the neck and upper back are more effective.” All in all, I got a lot of gems from my time in the Tui Na massage department, and I'm really thankful to Dr. Su for being so willing to teach me.
2: Acupuncture
I had never gotten acupuncture from a professional before, and this time, I got acupuncture from Dr. Liu, whose specialty is acupuncture, and whom I admire a lot, so I felt very honored.
Last year, I saw an elder doing acupuncture on himself, and I asked him to show me how to do it. Then I asked Dr. Liu if I can do acupuncture on myself. I think since Dr. Liu knows I’m super interested in TCM, have a bit of foundational knowledge, and practiced other TCM treatment methods already, she agreed and gave me some instructions.
(Just to be clear, do NOT try acupuncture on yourself and especially not on others without a medical professional’s permission and advice!)
I then practiced acupuncture on myself at home. At first, my logical mind knows this needle is super thin and won’t hurt me. But at a subconscious level, my body still felt fear towards the needle. But after trying acupuncture on myself for a while, I got used to the needles, and I don’t get as nervous.
When doing acupuncture on myself, I use a small tube to angle the needle, and then I simply press on the needle handle. The needle easily goes into the skin, then I use my hand to push and rotate the needle. The main problem I faced is that sometimes, I have trouble pushing the needle in deeper, so I was very eager to observe how Dr. Liu does acupuncture.
I already watched her insert needles into many patients. From her technique, I can see she’s super proficient and experienced. She doesn’t need a tube. She inserts the needles very quickly but artfully, and then she’ll manipulate the needles via flicking, rotating, pulling, pushing, and angling. I feel like I’m watching a dance between her hands and the needles.
I asked her if there's any benefit to using a tube versus free-hand. She explained that in North America, the law requires practitioners to use a tube because it makes the insertion easier. But in China, practitioners can use free-hand, and practitioners might do this because they are skilled enough and it saves them time when there are a lot of patients to treat.
(Dr. Liu using a tube to insert a needle. She puts the needle in a tube and taps it in, then she rotates it for further insertion.)
(Dr. Liu inserting a needle free-hand)
When it came time for my turn, I was very excited. She diagnosed my pulse and said I don’t have any illnesses to treat, so she picked some acupoints for health maintenance, and most of these points are ones I needled before.
Dr. Liu said in the west, most people are rather unfamiliar with acupuncture and afraid of needles, so she’ll usually use thinner needles. Although the effect is less than thicker needles, the patients won’t be so nervous and won't feel much pain. If they have a good experience the first time, they’ll be willing to come back, which is very important because it takes multiple sessions of acupuncture for optimal results. Once the patients gain some confidence and comfort with acupuncture, then she can use thicker needles for larger effects.
She brought the high quality needles that she uses in her clinic in America, so I experienced what she’d give her patients. When the needle went in, I barely felt anything. The movement was super fast, such that my eyes could barely catch the insertion. Then she manipulated the needles, and I felt stimulation along my meridian.
(Dr. Liu doing acupuncture on my arm's Chize acupoint)
She also used a thicker needle, and I felt the insertion. It was a quick slight pain, and I could feel the needle in my body more. Dr. Liu pointed to the skin around the needle, and I saw it was a bit red. Dr. Liu said the red indicates Deqi, which means blood and qi has flown to the acupoint, and the effect is very noticeable. Thicker needles can Deqi easier, but the trade-off is they hurt more.
Dr. Liu sometimes inserted needles for her family members when they were eating, sitting down and chatting, traveling in a car, or napping. I just love how convenient and time-efficient acupuncture can be, and I plan to keep practicing on myself.
3: Moxibustion
My mother and I both have too much coldness in our bodies, so Dr. Liu recommended us to do moxibustion at home. She even sent us a box of moxa sticks, pads and tools. Naturally, I view moxibustion as an important department to check out.
I asked the doctor in charge there, Dr. Wang, about the most common conditions he sees. He said that first is a deficiency in Yang energy or having too much coldness in the body. This might be due to environmental factors (e.g., cold winters, AC) or dietary factors (eating too much cold-natured foods). The second is a weak spleen (the main digestive organ in TCM) and a cold stomach.
The hospital has a lot of set-up that allows for much larger and more effective moxa treatments than one could do at home. They offer two main types of moxa treatments. First is moxa along the Governing Vessel meridian (also called the Du Mai in Chinese), which runs along the spine. This helps people who are deficient in Yang energy. The other is moxa along the Conception Vessel meridian (also called the Ren Mai in Chinese) on the stomach area, combined with moxa sticks on the Zusanli point. This helps with a weak spleen and cold stomach.
(Dr. Liu explaining the hospital's moxibustion method to me.)
Since I got a lot of treatments on my back, such as Gua Sha and cupping, Dr. Liu suggested I try the moxa for spleen and stomach. The doctors there first prepared a medicinal paste, which they put on the skin. Then they put some crushed ginger pieces onto of the paste (ginger has warming properties). Then they put moxa fluff on top and burn it. When the moxa burns, it will send heat down through the ginger and medicinal paste into the body’s meridian channel below. This way, not only does the patient absorb the moxa heat, they also get the medicinal priorities of the ginger and paste. Once the moxa fluff is all burnt, the doctor comes and does another round, for a total of 3 rounds (in TCM, odd numbers are considered Yang, while even numbers are Yin).
(Me getting moxa along the Conception Vessel and Zusanli acupoints on the leg)
During the whole process, I had to just lie there. I was deciding whether I should do stuff on my phone or just lie there and nap. I decided that it’s very rare for me to able to just lie down and relax, and the moxa treatment is very warm and comfortable, so I closed my eyes and napped. Afterwards, I felt warm and energized. I’m not super deficient in Yang, so the effect probably isn’t as noticeable for me, but I’m sure for other Yang deficient people, the effect would be more significant.
I also have to appreciate how convenient it is to get moxa at the hospital. You don’t have to hold a moxa stick yourself or worry about the smoke. You can get a huge area moxa'ed all at once, and you can just lie there and nap!
4: Fire Cupping
I remember one time, I got food poisoning, and I messaged Dr. Liu. She recommended me to do cupping along my neck and back. My mother’s friend gave us a set of vacuum suction cups before, but we never used them. That was my first time using them.
After doing the cupping, I puked and felt much better. I sent a picture of my cupping results to Dr. Liu, and she explained that it’s clear that my stomach got invaded by coldness (I ate some seriously bitter and raw lettuce stems full of bitter milk), but puking helped to clear out the toxins, and I’ll recover shortly.
From that experience, I got fascinated by cupping, and I asked Dr. Liu more about it. She said that I can do cupping once every few weeks for health maintenance, as it’s a good way to see the state of our internal organs and clear out toxins.
Cupping is actually pretty easy to do with those plastic vacuum suction cups, but Dr. Liu mentioned that I should try fire cupping if I have the chance. This week, I did. The cups for fire cupping are made of glass, and the practitioner uses a "torch" to quickly crate a vacuum inside the cup, then the practitioner puts that cup onto the patient’s back and twists.
(Me getting fire cupping.)
When I tried it, I noticed that the glass cup has a much thicker and smoother rim, so it feels more comfortable than plastic suction cups. It’s also slightly warm due to the heat of the fire. Dr. Liu said the suction force of fire cups is also stronger, so it might be painful. But I didn’t feel much pain, probably because I’ve done cupping many times already, so my skin is used to it. I remember at the beginning, I felt cupping is painful, but over time, it hurt less. Overall, fire cupping was a fun experience!
I asked the doctor in charge there, “What are the most common conditions you see for cupping patients?”
She said, "Usually it’s for coughs, back problems, and liver stagnation."
I mentioned that I do cupping regularly for health maintenance. She said, “That’s great. Once every month or so is good for that.”
5: Gua Sha
I first tried Gua Sha at home purely out of curiosity. I wondered if I’d actually be able to get some Sha (visible red or purple dots on the skin that signify toxins) out from my mom’s shoulders and upper back. I barely got any. I asked Dr. Liu about it. She said not everyone will have Sha (toxins) come out, especially those who have a cold or deficient body constitution (which was the case with my mom).
Another time in Malaysia, I started growing a rash on my elbows. I asked Dr. Liu about it. She said it’s due to damp heat. Indeed, Malaysia is very damp and hot, and I ate quite a bit of spicy foods there. She suggested I do cupping or Gua Sha along my elbow area. I didn’t have cupping tools, but I brought my Gua Sha tool. This time, red Sha (toxins) came out, and I felt pretty satisfied. I also stopped eating spicy foods, and my rash went away soon after.
At the hospital, I wanted to observe and experience Gua Sha from a professional practitioner. The practitioner who does Gua Sha is the same person who does fire cupping, and her name is Dr. Wang. I watched her do Gua Sha on someone, and I noticed that her arm is very relaxed. Coincidentally, Dr. Su came in, and I commented that what he taught me about having relaxed arms while massaging seems to apply to giving Gua Sha as well. Both doctors affirmed my observation.
I asked Dr. Wang if I can experience professional Gua Sha from her. She said "Sure. my specialty is the upper back and shoulders, so that's what I'll do for you." I wondered if the Gua Sha would be painful, but it wasn't. She put on some massage oil and then used the Gua Sha tool to scrape my upper back and shoulders.
(Me getting Gua Sha.)
There were some purple Sha (dots), which signify coldness. I asked, "Is it because of air conditioning blowing on my back? I caught a cold because of it." She said, "That's definitely a reason for coldness. Your cold isn't fully healed yet, so it's not surprising."
Later, I asked Dr. Liu if Gua Sha can be used for other areas of the body like the four limbs, and she said Gua Sha is most commonly used for the back and neck areas, but it can be used on the limbs, such as on the Lung meridian along the arms.
I also asked if any oil works, including food oil. She said, "The point of the oil is to reduce friction along the skin, so food oil works. Sesame oil is an example. But Chinese herbal oil is best because of its herbal properties, which means more results with less effort. Next best would be essential oils, then food oils."
6: Cup Sliding
Cup sliding is when the practitioner uses a suction cup to pull or slide along the patient’s back. It’s kind of like a combination of Gua Sha and cupping, but it goes deeper than Gua Sha, and it’s not stationary like cupping. Another difference is that Gua Sha pushes on the skin and uses friction to bring out Sha (toxins), while cupping and cup sliding pulls on the skin to bring out toxins. Since the suction cups exert a pulling force, it can pull out Yang energy too, but Gua Sha won't. Also, cup sliding can help to align and dredge entire meridians along the back, which is something Gua Sha and cupping can’t do.
I had never done cup sliding before, and I heard it can be painful. But regardless, I was very interested to try it. Dr. Zeng did this treatment for me, and he first put a glob of gel (the same type used for ultrasounds) on my skin, then he quickly puts fire inside the glass cup to create a vacuum, then he slid the cup along my back.
(Dr. Zeng doing cup sliding on a patient.)
Overall, I actually didn’t feel much pain, maybe because my problems aren’t that serious. My outer shoulder area felt a bit ticklish, and the practitioner said that indicates wind. A small area on my back hurt, and I know I have a knot there from bad desk posture. Afterwards, I had a lot of purple Sha on my upper back, which I wasn’t surprised by since I know it’s due to AC blowing on my back. I saw others with both purple and red Sha, indicating both coldness and heat, and that's often because after cold wind enters the body, it can turn hot due to the body having inner heat.
The practitioner told me to drink more warm water afterwards to help excrete the toxins that came out from the cup sliding; otherwise, the body will re-absorb some. Later, my back muscles felt pretty relaxed and comfortable. Overall, it was a good experience for me.
7: Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture
Auricular acupuncture is another TCM treatment that really got my interest. I know that in theory, the ear represents the entire body, and needling specific points on the ear helps to treat problems in specific areas of the body.
(The left side shows that different parts of the ear corresponds to different parts of the body. The right side shows all the acupoints on the ear.)
I also got auricular acupuncture from Dr. Zeng, but he didn’t actually use needles. Instead, he used little beads on bandage tape and stuck them onto my ear. Surprisingly, a lot of those points hurt.
(The beads are pressed onto specific acupoints)
He told me most of the acupoints he picked are related to the brain and thinking too much since he knows my personality is the type to overthink.
He asked me, “How is your sleep?”
I said, “Good. I usually fall asleep pretty quickly.”
He said, “Do you wake up easily?”
I said, “I don’t think so.”
He said, “If these points hurt, it’s likely that you lack deep sleep.”
I then thought about it, and I realized I do wake up pretty easily at sounds. He helped me realize that I do sleep quite lightly.
I also said, “The points on my left ear hurt more than on my right ear. Does that mean I use my left brain more?”
He said, “Remember that that the left brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa. So actually, you use the right side more. Put in other words, your overthinking is often for random things as opposed to logical thinking for work related matters.”
I was quite surprised and said, “Really? But my personality is a very logical type, and I feel like I’m always using my brain for work. I know I’m a left-brained person.”
He said, “This non-logical thinking that drains your energy might be subconscious, so you’re not very aware of it.”
Later, I reflected on his comments. I realized that indeed, random wandering thoughts often pop up in my mind, and if I don’t try to stop them, they just keep wandering and continuing. It’s very noticeable during meditation because I’m trying to clear my mind. But when I’m not meditating, those wandering thoughts are still there in the background; I’m just not aware of them, but they are indeed draining my energy. The point of meditation is to maintain that serene state of mind throughout the day, so this auricular acupuncture experience helped me realize how limited my cultivation is.
He pressed on some more beads on my ears, which of course hurt, and said, “These points are related to your liver. You have some liver stagnation.”
I said, “Oh…I’m not too surprised because I’ve been sleeping a bit late for the past while, and I went through a very busy and physically stressful time before coming here.”
At the end of the treatment, he said, “I’ll leave these beads on your ears. To optimize the treatment results, you should massage time whenever you remember. At least 5 times a day. After 3 or 4 days, you can take them off. They’ll probably fall off naturally after showering."
I asked him, “So can I buy these beads and put them on my ear myself?”
He said, “Well, you probably can’t accurately find the points on your ears, so the effect won’t be stellar.”
I also asked, “How come I rarely see people with these beads in their ears? Is this a rare treatment?”
He said, “It’s not that well promoted in China. Some major hospitals provide it though. It is pretty effective for certain conditions like those related to the brain, ear, and insomnia.”
I asked further, “What if I simply massage my ears? Would that have a similar effect?”
He replied, “Simply massaging your ears would have a relatively small effect compared to the beads because the beads can accurately give a lot of force to the correct points. If you simply massage your ears, you might not hit the required points, and your force is rather small and dispersed. It might take a year of massage to get the same amount of effect as this treatment you got today.”
All in all, auricular acupuncture/beads was a really cool experience, and the doctor helped me see more clearly the state of my mind and body.
8: Herbs
Chinese herbal medicine is rather complex and requires formal medical education, which I don’t have, so I didn’t spend much time at the herbs department. However, I was still curious to observe them a bit. My first impression was, “Wow, that’s a lot of herbs. Probably hundreds of herbs.” I also observed that the herbalists are very busy. They get a lot of prescriptions, so they are working non-stop to fulfill these requests.
I went early one morning to chat with the herbalists before they got busy. A lot of Chinese herbal medicine is also food, such as Chinese yam or jujubes. I asked an herbalist, Dr. Tan, if the quality of these are higher than what you’d find at a supermarket.
He told me, “Herbal medicine has different quality levels. High quality medicine are rather expensive. The supermarket quality ones are much cheaper. As doctors, we have to have medical ethics. We need to take into account the severity of the patient’s illness along with their financial situation. We won’t recommend a medicine they can’t afford.”
I also noticed that they use an interesting scale tool from ancient times rather than a modern digital scale to measure most herbs.
(Dr. Tan using a measuring scale to weigh herbs)
They demonstrated it to me, and I noticed that the measuring process is very fast. I asked about the accuracy of this scale. They said, “When it comes to herbal medicine, you don’t have to be exact to the milligram. When we get a certain amount of herbal medicine formula and split it into multiple days, the exact amount of each ingredient will differ from day to day. That’s fine. There’s always an acceptable range.”
Dr. Tan said if I’m interested in learning herbal medicine, I should get a book and start accumulating. He also taught me the first formula that students should learn. It can nourish Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang. I’m very thankful for his support and encouragement.
9: Herbal Paste for San Fu
I just happened to visit the hospital during the San Fu period of the year, and the hospital was offering a medicinal paste application specifically for that period. Basically, San Fu is the hottest period on the Chinese lunar calendar, and it is an opportunistic time to treat winter illnesses and make the body stronger for the winter. The San Fu herbal paste is designed for this, and the body can absorb the properties of the paste through physical contact.
(Left: Me getting the San Fu paste patches applied. Right: After the paste patches were taken off.)
I had patches of the paste applied to acupoints on my back and throat for about an hour before removing them. What a neat way to prepare the body for the winter!
10: Chinese Exercise
Both western and Chinese medicine emphasize the importance of regular exercise for health maintenance. In the west, exercise can be categorized into four major categories: cardio, strength, flexibility and mobility, balance and coordination. Sports, going to the gym, and yoga are all very popular, and people usually exercise to improve their body shape, to increase their strength, or to strengthen their heart and lungs.
Chinese exercises (e.g., Taichi, Qigong, Baduanjin, etc.) have quite a different flavor and different goals, such as to
Exercise the various internal organs (not just heart and lungs)
Cultivate a calm and concentrated mind
Flexibility and balance
Strength and endurance (but to a lesser degree than strength training and cardio)
The goal that's probably hardest to understand is the first one: how can we exercise organs other than the heart and lungs, such as the liver or kidneys or stomach? In TCM, every organ has corresponding meridians that flow through the organ, and these meridians run along the entire body. So when we do stretches, such as in yoga and Chinese exercises, we stretch and stimulate the meridians, which in turn exercises the corresponding organs. When we exercise the internal organs, we improve overall body health and longevity.
Chinese exercises also tend to alternate between smooth and slow movements with sudden forceful movements. The whole time, the mind needs to be calm and focused. The slow and smooth movements often involve positions that improve our balance or stretches that improve flexibility and maybe strength, and the duration of these exercises can improve our endurance and provide some cardio effect.
Shen Nong hospital is located next to a river, and one morning, Dr. Liu took me for a walk along that river. She told me her father and many people walk along this river every morning and do their morning exercises there.
(The river beside Shen Nong Hospital)
That morning, Dr. Liu demonstrated Baduanjin to me. Baduanjin can literally be translated as "Eight Segment Brocade". Brocade means a woven fabric, typically with gold or silver thread. The implication here is that these are a series of eight exercises that are meant to be done or woven together, and they are precious exercises in that they have great health benefits.
I tried to learn Baduanjin before from YouTube videos, and it's alright, but I'm sure my movements aren't fully accurate. When I watched Dr. Liu do it, I noticed some of her movements are different from what I saw on YouTube.
(Dr. Liu doing Baduanjin)
(Me doing Baduanjin)
She explained that there are different ways to do some of the movements, and whatever I prefer is fine. When she observed me doing the movements, she easily found inaccuracies and helped me correct them. This was really helpful for me, and now that I know I can do these movements properly, I'm much more willing to practice them at home.
11: 30th Anniversary Celebration
I just happened to visit during the year and week of their 30th anniversary celebration, and I was honored to attend.
(The banner in Chinese says "An enthusiastic congratulations to Shen Nong Chinese Medicine Hospital for its 30th anniversary")
Aside from the red carpet and fireworks at the hospital, they also held a lunch banquet celebration. I saw a lot of the doctors and staff in the hospital practicing for their performances after work, and they were quite entertaining. I was also surprised that these doctors had to perform, but I suppose this is a Chinese culture thing: organizations want their staff to perform in their banquets.
(Shen Nong Hospital staff performing at the banquet)
(Half of the audience at the banquet.)
During the banquet, Dr. Liu's dad, her brother, and Dr. Liu herself all gave speeches. I learned about all the difficulties and challenges that they went through over the past 30 years. Many people might envy the success of her father, but when I heard about the hardships he's had to endure, I feel that he's totally deserving of his success, and most normal people wouldn't be willing to endure such hardships.
During the banquet lunch and later another banquet dinner, I experienced more of Chinese culture. I noticed many people from other tables coming around to give congratulatory messages or good wishes, and then everyone clinks their cups together for a toast. This happens over and over again.
At first, I thought it's the same as a western toast, but Dr. Liu pointed out to me that respecting elders is very important in China, so if you do a toast with an elder, you should make sure your cup is lower than theirs. Moreover, humility is important in Chinese culture, so an elder will probably try to put their cup lower than yours, so you need to make a conscious effort to put your cup lower than theirs. Also, if you give toast to others, you should start with the eldest/highest (e.g., the top leader) and then go down the hierarchy. Before, I knew that the Chinese really value respecting elders and hierarchy, but it was quite eye-opening to see it in real life in banquet etiquette.
12: Music
Dr. Liu is interested in learning a Chinese stringed instrument called the Guzheng. She said that playing music is a great way to relax the mind and free it from all the energy-draining thinking that most of us are always doing. Playing music can also create a sense of peace and nurture positive energy so that our mind is sharper when we return to our work.
This all reminds me of the purpose of meditation, but I know that meditation can be quite hard and unappealing for some people, and playing a musical instrument could be a good alternative. In fact, lots of activities can be meditative, such as music, art, reading for joy, knitting, running, gardening, etc, and what works best for each person differs.
Anyway, Dr. Liu managed to book a lesson with a renowned teacher called Mrs. Luo Bing on Monday, and I had the chance to sit in on that lesson.
(Dr. Liu learning Guzheng from Mrs. Luo)
Mrs. Luo's mother came to the hospital that day, and Dr. Liu personally gave her treatment. During the Guzheng lesson, Mrs. Luo mainly focused on teaching Dr. Liu, while some of Dr. Liu's family members were drinking tea and chatting with Mrs. Luo's mother. There were two Guzhengs in the room, and after I listened and observed for an hour or so, the teacher invited me and other family members to try playing too.
It was a very unique experience playing the Guzheng. I bandage-taped little picks (similar to guitar picks) onto my fingers and used them to pluck the strings. Surprisingly, I was able to learn a simple 1-minute song in about an hour, and in the process, I learned many of the basic movements.
(Me learning the Guzheng)
Dr. Liu said that Mrs. Luo is really good because she did a great balance of teaching the basics in an interesting way while also giving the student a sense of accomplishment all in just a couple of hours. Other teachers might make you practice the same movement over and over again for multiple sessions, which might make students feel bored and like they're not improving.
I also noticed that this teacher really loves the Guzheng, and she'll play songs for us too to increase our interest and admiration for the Guzheng. When we practiced, she gave us space and time, and she came by once in a while to help. When she gave advice, she used clever analogies. For example, she said things like "Relax your fingers. Use the middle finger as if you're scratching your head. Use the thumb as if you're pressing on a pen."
I remember Einstein said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." From those clever analogies, I can tell Mrs. Luo is an expert at the Guzheng. Later I saw some of her videos on social media, and she actually performed on international stages and taught famous people from other countries. Wow, what an honor it was to sit in on this lesson!
13: Chinese Tea Culture
In the west, we usually steep a large amount of tea in a cup or teapot for a long time. But in China, especially southern China, they steep tea leaves in a cup for a very short amount of time, maybe just 20 to 30 seconds, and then pour out that tea into small cups (roughly the size of shot glasses) for everyone to drink. Then they repeat the process over and over again. With each steep, the flavor changes a bit. At the beginning, it's a bit light, then it gets stronger, then it gets lighter again at the end.
It's kind of similar to how in the west, people like to drink alcohol at social gatherings, and you keep refilling that alcohol. In traditional Chinese social gatherings, they drink small cups of tea. As time goes on, the flavor of the tea changes, and they feel more energetic from the tea. The host can also change up the tea to give everyone a different experience. I actually quite enjoy it as it feels more cultured and healthier compared to alcohol.
Previously, Dr. Zeng used to be a supplier of tea leaves, and he is an expert on the subject of Chinese tea. During many gatherings at the hospital's tea room, he talked about tea to guests.
(Dr. Zeng talking about tea to guests)
(One of Dr. Zeng's beautiful tea cups. He is a collector.)
From him, I learned many things:
The reason the Chinese don't steep tea for a really long time is to prevent the bitter flavor that comes out from over-steeping.
To maximize the taste of the tea, first sniff the tea, then take a sip, then swallow and breathe out.
Good tea is very salivating, especially after you swallow.
If the tea is very hot, you can avoid burning your tongue by slurping the tea.
When using those small cups to drink tea, we usually drink it in three sips. Don't drink it in one sip.
Smelling the good aromas of tea and salivating have health benefits.
Different types of tea actually all start out as the same tea leaf, but through different preparation methods, they become different teas.
Different types of teas have different effects. For example, green tea is cooling (more suitable for the summer), while black tea is warming (more suitable for the winter). That's because black tea went through a frying process, while green tea didn't.
Don't judge a tea by its price. A cheap tea that tastes good to you is better than an expensive tea that doesn't taste good to you. If a tea tastes bad to you, no matter the price, it's not a suitable tea for you.
Dr. Zeng's collection of teas are quite high-end, and I don't think someone like me can fully appreciate the greatness of his teas, but I'm very thankful for his generosity, and thanks to him, I now have an appreciation for and basic understanding of Chinese tea culture.
14: Tourism and Food
Dr. Liu's family is really hospitable, and they wanted to make sure I got the opportunity to explore Hohhot's tourist spots in my limited time there. They took me to many places, including WenHua Gong Food Street, Dazhao Temple (and the whole outdoor market around it), a fountain show at Donghe Square, and the Huhtala Grasslands.
(Wenhua Gong Food Street)
(Me eating bamboo sticky rice and candied hawthorn at Wenhua Gong Food Street)
(Me outside the Dazhao Temple)
(The shopping area outside Dazhao temple)
(A shopping street outside Dazhao temple)
(Fountain show at Donghe Square)
(Fountain show at Donghe Square)
(Huhtala Grasslands shortly after sunset)
(Me at Huhtala Grasslands near sunset)
(Me trying archery for the first time at Huhtala Grasslands)
Aside from the wonderful tourist sites, I also got to eat lots of delicious foods, including hotpot, BBQ, banquets, and traditional Mongolian food. My favorites are
Tempura BBQ (it's like normal Chinese BBQ, but with tempura-like batter)
Sticky rice in a bamboo tube (the sticky rice absorbs the flavor from the bamboo)
Mango rose pudding (I really appreciate that food art)
Mongolian roasted bread (crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside)
(Me eating tempura BBQ and a bowl of rice noodles)
(Left: Mango rose pudding. The restaurant owner said they freeze mango pieces to make that rose. Right: Mongolian roasted bread.)
(Traditional Mongolian food. I really liked their stir-fried mushrooms and thin soft pancakes. The watermelons are fresh and locally picked, and they are super sweet.)
I didn't come to Hohhot for tourism and food, but I can say it's a great place to visit if that's what you're looking for!
Conclusion
This whole week was such a rich experience for me. I was already a big fan of TCM before because it provides free and easy-to-do-at-home health advice for everyone (I wrote about this in my TCM series). But after this study trip, I am even more fond of TCM. My main goal was to learn more about Tui Na massage, and I got lots of gems that I will practice at home. As a bonus, I got guidance on acupuncture, cup sliding, and Chinese exercises.
Aside from Chinese medicine learnings at the hospital, I got to experience a lot of Chinese culture, such as banquet etiquette, Chinese music, and Chinese tea culture. And of course, it was really fun to visit many of the tourist sites and eat lots of delicious Mongolian food. A big heartfelt thanks to Dr. Liu, her family, and all the people at Shen Nong hospital for this unforgettable week!
Comments