DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine remains popular in Hong Kong as well as throughout Asia, and some practitioners try to bring the two disciplines closer:

Along the crowded streets of Hong Kong, it is common to see shops crammed with rows of dried foods, many of which are used in Chinese medicines or meals designed to boost health.

Many people here seek both Western-style and traditional treatment. Some hospitals provide both, and some insurance companies here cover the use of traditional Chinese therapies.

Eric Chow is an acupuncturist in Hong Kong. He says the roots of Chinese health care are represented by a balance of two forces in the body, known as yin and yang.

“Chinese believe that everything can be di vided in yin and yang,” he said. “For example, yin is maybe dark and yang maybe the light. Because the imbalance of them can cause disorders of diseases, Chinese believe that our health depends on the balance inside our body.”

In the Western world, traditional Chinese medicine is often criticized as being without proven effectiveness.

But here in Asia, there is a deep belief in these treatments, which include acupuncture, teas made of fungus and soups made from animals such as snakes and turtles.

P.C. Leung is the director of the Institute of Chinese Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He says for many in Asia, traditional medicine is a way of life, a belief system that many were simply born into.

“Chinese medicine is a culture. And anything cultural you cannot remove it,” he said. “And in eating for instance, making soup and making dishes a lot of the medicinal plants have been used for ages.”

Tags: East and West, Culture //