Editor’s note: UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage includes 43 sites that not only testify to the past glories of Chinese civilization, but also continue to shine today. China Daily covers the protection and inheritance of these cultural heritage sites. This time, we explore how ancient healing techniques are gaining popularity in modern times.
For thousands of years, the Chinese have used acupuncture to relieve pain and cure disease. Developed from the discovery that using stone needles to prick specific points on the body’s surface alleviates pain and symptoms, acupuncture is a traditional practice in line with a philosophy that promotes the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. has become an integral part of Chinese medicine.
According to the Great History, written by Sima Qian about 2,100 years ago, Bian Que, a highly skilled doctor during the Warring States period (475-221 BC), used a needle to save a prince from “death.” It was famous for that. Stimulates the Bai Hui pressure point on the head of an unconscious man.
According to TCM, there are more than a dozen meridians in the human body through which qi, or life energy, circulates and nourishes the organs. Colds, infections, and illnesses can cause energy blockages, so stimulating acupressure points can unblock qi stagnation, restore normal circulation, and improve health.
Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine treatment, has been increasingly recognised around the world since being inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. [Photo by He Dongping/Zhu Jun/For China Daily]
Acupuncture is still widely used in China today.
Li Ming, a 41-year-old media worker, said acupuncture was really helpful in treating the dry eye she had been suffering from since 2009. After she tried many other methods, her friend recommended that she consult a doctor at Beijing Tongren Hospital. She is excellent at treating symptoms with acupuncture.
Lee’s treatment lasted a year and a half, and after more than 130 visits, her symptoms had significantly reduced and her eyes were wet enough to resume work in 2013.
Liu Cunzhi, dean of the department of acupuncture and moxibustion at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said he uses acupuncture to treat patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. “Many of my patients come to me twice a week for seven or eight years to maintain their current condition,” he says.
In 2010, UNESCO included the traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Acupuncture is not only cultural and historical, but also a medical technique that is widely used and researched today.
