把《本草纲目》唱到地球村
Introduction to the Character
Arthur Nyamekye Samuel, a lover of Chinese culture from Ghana in West Africa; Regoeng·Thuto·Kevin, a fan of "Compendium of Materia Medica" from Botswana in Southern Africa; and Jin Ling, who came to Changsha to study with friends from Pakistan... United by their passion for China, they gathered in Changsha from different countries and were deeply captivated by the charm of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) during their studies.
What They Said
"After completing our studies and returning to our hometowns, we are determined to bring TCM back with us. We want more people to experience its wonders and let this ancient knowledge bloom brightly in foreign lands."
"Where does it hurt? Zhé lǐ ma?" He asked word by word.
"Yes," replied the elderly person lying on the treatment bed.
"Hǎo de."
A white coat paired with a black face; he spoke unfluent Chinese, but his TCM tuina techniques were skilled. On July 16, at the Jinping Community Health Service Center in Jinshanqiao Sub-district, Hunan Xiangjiang New Area, Arthur Nyamekye Samuel, a Ghanaian international student from Changsha Medical University, was providing free tuina treatments and consultations for elderly residents. These two striking contrasting scenes unfolded vividly before the reporter’s eyes.
Arthur is not alone. Just a short distance from the health center, the International School of Medicine at Changsha Medical University has enrolled over 1,000 international students from more than 30 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates, over the past decade. Gaining hands-on "internship" experience at nearby clinics has become a routine for these students.
Insight Through Understanding – The Secret of an Acupoint Chart
Regoeng·Thuto·Kevinhails from Botswana in Southern Africa. Like many of his classmates, he is from Africa. Africa and Pakistan are the main source regions of students for the school, with more than 20 international students from 13 African countries currently studying here.
In the midsummer of Changsha, even the cicada chirps carry a listless laziness. When talking about the city’s weather, the African students unanimously joked in their broken Chinese: "Changsha is too hot – much hotter than our hometowns!"
Their enthusiasm for learning is equally intense.
"'The Spring of the Heart Meridian' at the highest point of the armpit – remember this metaphor, and you’ll find the Jiquan acupoint," said Teacher Ding Le, holding up the arm of a human acupoint model for demonstration in the acupuncture laboratory. More than 30 faces of different skin colors leaned in closely. Kevin stared intently at the armpit area where the teacher’s fingertips glided, struggling to record and express it in English.
"How to prove the existence of meridians, which cannot be seen, and qi, which cannot be touched?" This is the most common question from students. Chinese students need thousands of practice sessions to master pulse diagnosis, and it is even more challenging for foreign students to perceive the subtle differences between "floating, deep, slow, and rapid" pulses from a different cultural background. To facilitate understanding, teachers break down acupoint names into explanations that are easy for foreign students to comprehend and remember, helping them quickly memorize the locations and effects of acupoints starting from their names.
When the teacher wrote the Chinese characters "Ji"and "Quan" on the blackboard, everyone still looked confused. But when she translated "Ji" as "top", referring to the midpoint of the armpit, where the axillary artery pulses, and "Quan" as "spring", naturally gushing underground water, explained as "the source of gushing qi and blood", Kevin suddenly realized.
"It’s like the spring water on the top of the mountains in my hometown, flowing down to nourish the land," Kevin explained to his classmates, who quickly remembered this important acupoint that regulates heart function and unblocks qi and blood.
"Learning Chinese is difficult, and TCM-related Chinese is even harder," said 22-year-old Luo Meicifrom Nigeria. "But when we learn that every acupoint name holds the secret to curing diseases, we find it magical and magnificent." The African girl’s class notes are filled with acupoint diagrams. To avoid locating the wrong points, she annotates the allusions explained by the teacher with Pinyin and English during class. After class, she practices acupoint location and simple operations on herself. When she discovered that the needling sensation not only stays at the acupoint but also spreads along the meridians, she gradually understood the existence of "qi." After two years of study, she can accurately find many commonly used acupoints and even provide simple tuina conditioning for her classmates.
Practicing What They Learn – The Magical Effects of Baduanjin
Baduanjin is no stranger to us. But what surprised the reporter was that the international students also practice Baduanjin – and quite skillfully.
Baduanjin is offered as a physical education course at the International School of Medicine. Following the teacher’s movements, the students stretch, bend, and lean. In these movements, they not only relieve shoulder and neck soreness from prolonged sitting but also gradually comprehend the profound meaning of "smooth flow of qi and blood" in TCM through physical stretching. Jin Ling, a 21-year-old international student from Pakistan, told the reporter that practicing a set of Baduanjin every early morning makes her feel energetic throughout the day.
Four years ago, a friend of Jin Ling’s who was studying in Changsha often talked excitedly on the phone about the city’s lively streets, unique charm, and fascinating TCM culture. These words took root in her heart – soon after, she packed her bags and embarked on a journey to Changsha.
When she first came into contact with TCM acupuncture, Jin Ling was extremely afraid of the pain and felt nervous. However, once, when she suffered from severe cervical spine pain, the teacher treated her with acupuncture, and her symptoms improved significantly after a few sessions. Since then, Jin Ling has "loved" acupuncture. "For aversion to cold caused by wind-cold colds, needling the Kunlun acupoint has the effect of dispelling cold," she said. After getting caught in the rain and catching a cold, she immediately thought of soaking her feet in herbal water to dispel cold, followed by needling the Kunlun acupoint; when a classmate had shoulder soreness, she performed cupping for them, and the classmate also said, "It’s much better."
Through repeated practice, the international students have gradually been "conquered" by TCM. Once, 25-year-old Arthur sprained his ankle while playing football, and it didn’t improve for more than a week. The teacher treated him with acupuncture during an experimental class. After personally experiencing the immediate pain-relieving effect of acupuncture, Arthur was amazed. "Teacher, my arm hurts," "I sprained my waist"... Soon, a group of dark-skinned young men lined up, eager to experience the charm of acupuncture.
After studying acupuncture for some time, Arthur began to try it on himself and his fellow villagers. Once, he had a headache. "I used to buy medicine for it," but after that magical experience with acupuncture, he hesitated: "I can buy medicine or use TCM – which one should I choose?" In the end, he resolutely gave up buying medicine. Instead, he picked up silver needles with his classmates, accurately found the Hegu acupoint, and felt his headache gradually ease with gentle needling and slight trembling.
Blending TCM with Western Practices – Dandelion Seeds Spread Across the World
"Teacher, is 'wind pathogen' in TCM similar to the concept of 'energy imbalance' in our culture? How is it different from traditional African natural therapy?""Teacher, do the material and thickness of acupuncture needles affect the therapeutic effect?"
Lei Ting, 25, from Lyon, France, started learning Chinese in March last year. He said he wanted to study TCM because someone he knew had learned it; Arthur has studied "Laozi," and Kevin knows about "Compendium of Materia Medica." During the process of learning Chinese and TCM, they often have doubts and ask countless questions. In their words, they gain a "sense of accomplishment" from learning.
TCM, an ancient practice with a history of thousands of years, has opened up a brand-new world for them. The international students are like dandelion seeds, carrying Chinese wisdom to all corners of the world.
When Jin Ling returns to Pakistan during vacations, she uses acupuncture and tuina to treat her family’s neck and lumbar pain. She told the teacher that her grandmother’s illness has improved significantly through acupuncture; she also told the reporter that she now sends traditional Chinese medicine to Pakistan, and her mother’s uterine fibroids have had reduced pain through TCM conditioning. Five years ago, when Kevin first entered the campus, he knew nothing about TCM, but now, as he is about to graduate, he has become a "TCM fan."
After graduating from the clinical medicine program, most of the international students return to their hometowns and engage in medical-related fields – some work in hospitals, some become team doctors for football teams, and others open their own TCM clinics.
The reporter learned that Indriani Safitri (Kong Lin), a 2022 graduate from Indonesia, has completed a total of 450 hours of medical assistance programs in New York, the United States, after graduation. She has not only shared what she learned and experienced in China with people in Indonesia and the United States but also returned to the school at the end of last year to visit and share experiences with her juniors and seniors. "Bacha Hammad, a Pakistani student who graduated a few years ago, married a girl from Wangcheng after graduation. Whenever he comes to Changsha, he will come back to walk around and have a look," the teacher said with emotion. When one drinks water, one should remember the source – their affection is not only for TCM but also for this land.
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