Viewing China From Afar: Magical Traditional Chinese Medicine - Chinese Herbal Medicine
The short film shows how delicious Chinese herbal medicine tastes
SAN FRANCISCO, June 16, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Mixing Chinese herbal remedies is an essential skill for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. A series of programs produced by People's Daily Online will show how TCM is practiced and promoted in China and the United States. Today, let's learn more about traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
The transformation of medicinal herbs into pastes is a production technique refined and passed down nearly 2,000 years ago in China. Many people buy these herbal pastes as a health supplement during the cold winter months in China.
In Guangzhou, the creation and use of traditional Chinese medicinal materials is the basis for tailor-made treatment plans for patients seeking the services of Yang Zhimin, a famous TCM practitioner.
In the U.S., Dr. Liu Hao and a famous chef, Martin Yan, have launched a series of combined celebrity chef and doctor programs called "Yan Can Cook: Good Taste Meets Good Health" on a local TV station every Saturday. They focus their efforts in the programs on popularizing TCM and healthy food culture to local people.
As a well-known local doctor of TCM, Dr. Liu, born into a family of TCM practitioners, has many "Traditional Chinese Medicine fans." He said that he wants to change people's initial impressions of Chinese herbal medicine as a kind of "bitter soup of medicine," arguing that herbal medicine can be turned into something delicious to eat through simple preparation and cooking methods.
In 1994, the U.S. government officially recognized traditional Chinese herbal medicine as a food supplement. Since then, increasingly more Americans have come to recognize the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine.
As a sign of this growing popularity, the number of Chinese herbal medicine stores in the U.S. has risen precipitously. "Ellison Enterprise," a traditional Chinese herbal medicine store, has operated in San Francisco's Chinatown for 50 years.
"When we came here in 1972, there were only a few traditional Chinese herbal medicine stores in San Francisco. But now, more than 100 stores are selling traditional Chinese herbal medicine," said Lau Kenny, the president of the Chinese Herb Trade Association of America.
According to TCM theory, how do TCM practitioners transform a bunch of herbs into medicine? This requires knowledge of the medicinal properties of traditional Chinese herbs and memorization of the "Tang Verse," which is the formula used for each herbal medicine, and originates from ancient Chinese medicine classics.
At the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine USA Campus, the "Tang Verse" is displayed on the wall for students to recite. These are fundamental skills for every TCM practitioner. They spread the fundamental beliefs of TCM and health care to the world with traditional Chinese herbal medicines and TCM theory inscribed into their hearts.
Amy Zhou
Phone: 919.564.8043
Email: usawest@people.cn
Source: People's Daily Online West USA Inc