In Xiamen,
Ancient Minnan herbs and centuries-old TCM wisdom
are being rediscovered
—in surprisingly modern ways.
When a doctor steeped in Western medicine encounters TCM,
what new discoveries are waiting for him?
In the second episode of “Foreigners But Not Outsiders in Huli”,
we follow in the footsteps of Alex, a Russian Western-trained physician,
to experience Xiamen’s “new wave of Chinese-style wellness”.
As a Western-trained physician,
Alex had always been deeply curious about TCM philosophies.
TCM relies on inspection, listening and smelling, inquiry, and palpation.
After the TCM practitioner diagnosed him through pulse reading at the Xiamen TCM Hospital,
the doctor pointed out his “deficiency of both qi and blood”,
leaving Alex amazed.
Upon the doctor’s recommendation,
Alex visited the herbal cuisine experience hall at the hospital,
and bought the Yuanqi Sijunzi Herbal Drink (a qi-tonifying and spleen-strengthening formula).
It contains Renshen (Ginseng), Baizhu (White Atractylodes), Fuling (Poria), and Zhigancao (Licorice Root).
One sip
shattered his stereotype of Chinese herbal medicine as bitter and unpleasant.
He couldn’t stop praising it.
The sachet
was the luxury perfume carried by ancient Chinese people.
After finishing his drink,
Alex also experienced the ancient intangible cultural heritage — making a TCM herbal sachet.
He took Aiye (Folium Artemisiae Argyi), Guanghuoxiang (Herba Pogostemonis), Bohe (Herba Menthae),
and other authentic Chinese medicinal herbs, finely grinding and crushing them.
Then he hand-filled and sewed the pouch himself,
completing an insect-repelling wellness sachet, crafted exclusively for him.
When Alex held it gently to the nose,
the natural herbal aroma brought him peace and relaxation.
Small as it is,
this sachet carries the everyday wisdom of the ancients and the romance of the East.
However, Xiamen’s “trendy TCM culture” goes far beyond this.
The final stop of this experience
was Baduanjin (Eight-Section Brocade).
The exercise is rich in the health preservation wisdom of TCM.
“Inhale, slowly exhale.”
Pushing his hands out slowly in sync with even breathing,
guided by the professional instructor Kang Meihong,
Alex felt the joy of Baduanjin.
“I used to think this exercise was only for the elderly,
but in the gentle breeze of Huli Park,
for the first time, I felt
a warm energy inside my body.”
From classics passed down for millennia to the new wave of Chinese-style wellness among young people,
in today’s Huli District,
sub-district community health service centers have long established TCM clinics,
making TCM services within easy reach.
Additionally, by collaborating with the Xiamen TCM Hospital to launch shared herbal pharmacies,
the TCM has truly become part of everyday life for local residents.
Huli is using innovative practices
to bring a whole new vitality to ancient TCM.
联系人：Lu Yu Hang
公司名称*：Chinese Headline (Xiamen) Media Co., Ltd
地址*：Xia men,China
网址*：https://www.52hrtt.com/global/n/w
邮箱*：jesun11@163.com
