Chinese medicine is making its way to the West
“IT WAS not until he saw dramatic photographs of patients before and after a clinical trial that Christian Hogg began to feel fulfilled by his work with traditional Chinese medicines.”
Western attitude towards China
“In recent days, the Western public opinion seems to be misled into a grey area, as some anti-China forces in the West seize on the Beijing Olympic Games to vilify and denigrate China. The din from some Western forces and people sent us again into pondering: Why so?”
An interesting article about traditional Tibetan medicine:
“Tibetan medicine plays an important role in the Tibetan’s daily life. It’s regarded as a holistic system, which addresses the needs of the body, mind and spirit.
Tonzhub says although Tibetan medicine is based on a different pathology compared with other medical theories, its unique characteristics makes it an inseparable part in today’s medical world.
Tonzhub said, “Traditional Tibetan medicine is purely natural and unpolluted. It has unique curative effect. I believe Tibetan medicine will play a bigger role in China and the world in the 21 century.”
Traditional Tibetan Medicine has some similarities with both traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. Meanwhile, it has a genesis, history, and development of its own, which is rooted in the Tibetan landscape, the indigenous culture, and the spirit of the Tibetan people.
These Tangkas record the development of the Tibetan medicine for the past 1000 or so years. Even today, they are still of great research value in our modern economic and social life.
One of the unique features of Traditional Tibetan Medicine is that although it is generally practiced alongside Buddhism, it contains a comprehensive philosophy, cosmology with spiritual practices. In addition, Tibetan medicine encompasses a wealth of knowledge on anatomy and physiology, embryology and pathology. The science of Traditional Tibetan Medicine includes diversified herbal pharmacy, as well as external therapies which are little-known in the western world. “
A restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, following a long tradition of cooking with ginseng, is serving some special ginseng dishes:
“Ginseng is the ultimate herb to the Chinese. For centuries, the root has been treasured for its nutritional benefits that few ever wondered why some ginseng are priced in the thousands.
Despite the eye-popping price tags of some varieties, one can still enjoy the goodness of ginseng without burning a hole in the pocket.
On top of that, ginseng can be pleasant to the taste bud despite its slightly bitter nature. Crown Princess Kuala Lumpur’s Spring Garden Chinese Restaurant showcases their versatility with eight new ginseng-infused dishes available throughout March and April.
“Not all diners can accept ginseng’s slight bitterness and strong after,taste so we do not put too much of it into the dishes,” said Chinese chef Simon Chin who created the dishes.”
All over the world, Chinese are celebrating the year of the rat. Here’s what Las Vegas is expecting:
“Peter Miao and his family were posing for photos with a 5-foot-tall rat, and there wasn’t a single Disney theme park in sight.
Miao, standing in the cavernous conservatory at the Bellagio casino-resort, said he brought his wife and daughter from Hong Kong specifically to celebrate Chinese New Year in Las Vegas. And to pose with a rat.
“People are pretty wealthy now in China, so they can afford to come over here,” said Miao, basking in the artificial light reflecting off an 18-foot God of Wealth and Fortune statue to his right. “They don’t know a lot about Las Vegas; that’s why they want to come here, to see.”
There’s an odd symmetry to celebrating the Lunar New Year in a town where night is more sacred than day, where English isn’t as common as the language of luck, and where you can begin the Year of the Rat in the Land of the Rat Pack.
“Everybody wants to come, not only me,” said Miao.
And Las Vegas is encouraging them.
While there are no precise numbers, tourism officials here estimate tens of thousands of Asian and Asian American visitors - from the Bay Area, Beijing and many places between and beyond - are ringing in Lunar Year 4706 not in their homes with large extended families, but in Sin City, where extravagant feasts, themed entertainment and, yes, a little gambling fit in with long-held traditions for the holiday.
OK, a lot of gambling.
Casino owners, firm believers that you make your own luck, have been raising the stakes each year - elaborate exhibits; banners around every corner wishing good fortune, prosperity, long life; concerts by pop stars from Taiwan; lion dances; and culinary festivals with food prepared and served by staffs flown from Beijing - to make sure that, win or lose, guests still feel lucky.
By the time this year’s 15-day celebration is over - the period between the new moon and full moon, Feb. 7-21 - thousands of visitors will have filed through the Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where the God of Wealth and the 5-foot rat are flanked by a traditional pagoda, a scene of jagged mountain country, oversize incense burners and a koi pond with a zigzag bridge. (Evil spirits, it turns out, are not adept at navigating corners.) “
Happy New Year!
Celebrate Chinese New Year!
“Thursday, Feb. 7, marks the Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the rat. According to www.infoplease.com, the Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4706 begins on Feb. 7, 2008.
Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality. Those born in rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, William Shakespeare, and Mozart were all born in the year of the rat.”
Chinese new year starts this year on February 7th. It’s year 4706, the year of the rat. Here’s some predictions for the new year for each of the signs of Chinese zodiac:
“OX: It’s a good year for the Ox, though the Tai Yang star favours the male more than the female. But both the Ox will shine and advance in money and position. In terms of career it is a good year, with leadership qualities.
The lady Ox may have some toh fah or attracting unwanted attention from flirty males. In this year’s horoscope, the Ox serves as a guardian angel to others. But when in need, a guardian angel will appear for the Ox. There will be a bit of leakage or sudden loss: it can be about money or a project may turn sour.
Be careful about speeding; you may collect a summons. You may have communication problems with your boss, subordinates and your children.
TIGER: There may be a lot of changes at work and with the family. It may bring a lot of stress but these changes are an opportunity to turn things around. The Tiger should carry a jade horse so that it will bring money instead of stress. This is because the tiger has a horse coming in this year. There will be travelling and lots of moving around.
You may find that your boss, subordinates and children do not understand you. There is a lot of yin qi, so try not to visit hospitals or attend funerals. You can also wear a prosperity bracelet.
RABBIT: It is a good year for the Rabbit, with a guardian angel helping you. The Tai Yin star favours the female Rabbit more than the male who may have toh fah or flirtations disturbing them. Everything she does will be smooth sailing. There will be prosperity and career advancement, even wedding bells ringing for the Rabbit, if single.
There may be tense relationships with family members. You should try to communicate more with them. There may be some arguments and disagreements. Try not to get involved in people’s quarrels or take sides.”
Read the whole article to find out what’s in store for you!
Chinese New Year Celebration in Dublin, Ireland
“A VERITABLE feast of entertainment is planned in Dublin City Centre to celebrate the Chinese New Year which begins on February 7.
The Dublin Chinese New Year Festival Association is liaising with Dublin City Council to bring an exciting and dynamic programme of events to the capital for the celebrations.
The colourful festival offers many cultural features and community activities in a weeklong extravaganza of film, arts, culture and sports.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Paddy Bourke, in the presence of the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, his Excellency Liu Biwei, officially launched the festival at City Hall last Tuesday.”
Even though China is opening up to the west in many ways, traditional Chinese medicine continues to be widely used:
“Colleen Cheng and Angel Chen, Chinese marketing executives in their 30s, should be the ideal customers for U.S. and European drugmakers. So far, they are a tough sell.
Glued to cell phones at an expensive Beijing restaurant, the working moms would fit in at any cafe in New York or London with their fluent English and stylish clothing.
They spend hundreds of dollars monthly on herbs, acupuncture and supplements. What they don’t buy are Western pharmaceuticals, like Johnson & Johnson’s cold medicine Sudafed and Sanofi-Aventis SA’s sleeping pill Ambien.
“With Chinese medicine, it is all about balance,” Cheng says. For a cold, she boils ginger root in Coca-Cola. Rather than take a sleeping pill, Chen drinks Chinese white wine. “The effect of the Chinese medicine is very slow, but we continue to take it because we believe it is better for our overall health,” Cheng says.
While China’s middle class has fallen for Buick cars and Starbucks coffee, medicines made by Western drugmakers haven’t caught on as quickly. The average Chinese spends $10 a year on pharmaceuticals compared with $900 for each American. The world’s biggest drugmakers, including Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline Plc, need to court customers like Cheng and Chen as sales growth slows in the mature U.S. and European markets. “
