There has been an upsurge in interest in traveling for health reasons. There has also been greater interest and belief in the qualities of traditional Chinese medicines and in the consumption of green teas from China. More people to ease the psychological and physical problems of working and living in large urban areas are using methods of stress reduction such as meditation, yoga, and massage. Additionally, it appears that Chinese food and diet have been accepted as being more healthful than the foods and diets in European and North American countries. The healthful qualities of green tea are becoming particularly well recognized in Western societies. There are multiple locations for learning about Chinese medicine within Jiangsu, and many places to consume unique Chinese teas and other healthful products.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient and still very vital holistic system of health and healing, based on the notion of harmony and balance, and employing the ideas of moderation and prevention.TCM is based on a set of interventions designed to restore balance to human beings. The therapies usually considered under the heading of classic Chinese medicine include:
These forms of treatments are based upon beliefs that differ from the disease concept favored by Western medicine. What is referred to as illness by Western medicine is considered in traditional Chinese medicine to be a matter of disharmony or imbalance.
The philosophy behind Chinese medicine is a melding of tenets from Buddhism, Confucianism, and the combined religious and philosophical ideas of Taoism .
Acupuncture (Zhen Jiu)
Acupuncture is one of the main forms of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is among the oldest healing practices in the world. It involves the use of sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at very specific points. This process is believed to adjust and alter the body's energy flow into healthier patterns, and is used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and health conditions. In the United States, where practitioners incorporate healing traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years, acupuncture is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine. In TCM, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. According to TCM, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state"; disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. Qi can be unblocked, according to TCM, by using acupuncture at certain points on the body that connect with these meridians. Sources vary on the number of meridians, with numbers ranging from 14 to 20. One commonly cited source describes meridians as 14 main channels "connecting the body in a web-like interconnecting matrix" of at least 2,000 acupuncture points.
In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved acupuncture needles as "safe and effective medical devices.” This was followed in 1997 by a consensus statement issued by the National Institutes of Health, which recognized acupuncture as an effective treatment for a variety of conditions. Furthermore, the World Health Organization recommends the use of acupuncture for 29 conditions. Of course, Asians have been successfully treated with acupuncture for thousands of years, with millions and millions of "clinical trials" demonstrating its effectiveness. Now, however, the WHO, the NIH, and the FDA have all conceded that acupuncture does indeed work, and a good deal of exciting research is underway to discover more and more uses for this traditional technique
Dietary Regulation
Diet is regarded as the first line of treatment in Chinese medicine; acupuncture and herbal treatments are used only after changes in diet fail to cure the problem. Chinese medicine uses foods to keep the body in internal harmony and in a state of balance with the external environment. In giving dietary advice, the Chinese physician takes into account the weather, the season, the geography of the area, and the patient's specific imbalances (including emotional upsets) in order to select foods that will counteract excesses or supply deficient elements. Basic preventive dietary care, for example, would recommend eating yin foods in the summer, which is a yang season. In the winter, by contrast, yang foods should be eaten to counteract the yin temperatures. In the case of illness, yin symptom patterns (fatigue, pale complexion, weak voice) would be treated with yang foods, while yang symptoms (flushed face, loud voice, restlessness) would be treated by yin foods.
Chinese medicine also uses food as therapy in combination with exercise and herbal preparations. One aspect of a balanced diet is maintaining a proper balance of rest and activity as well as selecting the right foods for the time of year and other circumstances. If a person does not get enough exercise, the body cannot transform food into qi and Vital Essence. If they are hyperactive, the body consumes too much of its own substance. With respect to herbal preparations, the Chinese used tonics taken as part of a meal before they began to use them as medicines. Herbs are used in Chinese cooking to give the food specific medicinal qualities as well as to flavor it. For example, ginger might be added to a fish dish to counteract fever. Food and medical treatment are closely interrelated in traditional Chinese medicine. A classical Chinese meal seeks to balance not only flavors, aromas, textures, and colors in the different courses that are served, but also the energies provided for the body by the various ingredients.
Herbal Remedies (Zhong Yao)
Chinese herbal treatment differs from Western herbalism in several respects. In Chinese practice, several different herbs may be used, according to each plant's effect on the individual's qi and the Five Elements. There are many formulas used within traditional Chinese medicine to treat certain common imbalance patterns. These formulas can be modified to fit specific individuals more closely. A traditional Chinese herbal formula typically contains four classes of ingredients, arranged in a hierarchical order: a chief (the principal ingredient, chosen for the patient's specific illness); a deputy (to reinforce the chief's action or treat a coexisting condition); an assistant (to counteract side effects of the first two ingredients); and an envoy (to harmonize all the other ingredients and convey them to the parts of the body that they are to treat).
Chinese Massage (Tui Na)
Massage is recommended in traditional Chinese medicine to unblock the patient's meridians, stimulate the circulation of blood and qi, loosen stiff joints and muscles, and strengthen the immune system. It may be done to relieve symptoms without the need for complex diagnosis. Chinese massage is commonly used to treat back strain, pulled muscles, tendinitis, sciatica, rheumatism, arthritis, sprains, and similar ailments. In Tui na massage, the practitioner presses and kneads various qi points on the patient's body. The patient does not need to undress but wears thin cotton clothes. He or she sits on a chair or lies on a massage couch while the practitioner presses on or manipulates the soft tissues of the body. Tui na means "push and grasp" in Chinese. It is not meant to be relaxing or pampering but is serious treatment for sports injuries and chronic pain in the joints and muscles. Tui na is used to treat the members of Chinese Olympic teams.
Therapeutic Exercise (Qigong)
Therapeutic exercise is an ancient Chinese form of physical training that combines preventive healthcare and therapy. Qigong relies on breathing techniques to direct the qi to different parts of the body. The literal translation of qigong is "the cultivation and deliberate control of a higher form of vital energy." Another form of therapeutic exercise is t'ai chi, in which the person moves through a series of 30–64 movements that require a relaxed body and correct rhythmic breathing. Many Chinese practice t'ai chi as a form of preventive medicine.
Chinese tea
China is the origin of tea. Chinese tea refers to tea leaves which have been processed using methods inherited from China. Chinese tea is a beverage, Chinese tea is a pastime, and Chinese tea is a culture. Whatever you think Chinese tea is; Chinese tea is a lifetime of enjoyment. There are several famous Chinese teas in Jiangsu:
Bi Luo Chun
Bi Luo Chun is a famous Chinese green tea originally grown in the Dong Ting mountain of Lake Taihu. It is renowned for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, floral aroma, showy white hairs and early cropping. Bi Luo Chun literally means Green Snail Spring. It is called so because it is a green tea that is rolled into a tight spiral, resembling snail meat, and is cropped early spring. Its original name is Scary Fragrance. According to the Qing Dynasty chronicle Ye Shi Da Guan, Emperor Kangxi visited Lake Taihu in the 38th year of his rule. At that time, because of its rich aroma, local people called it Xia Sha Ren Xiang or Scary Fragrance. Kangxi decided to give it a more civilized name - Bi Luo Chun. Chinese tea experts regard it very highly. Zhen Jun (1857-1918), author of tea encyclopedia Cha Shuo, ranked it first among Chinese green tea, Longjing tea came second, and Liu An Gua Pian came third. It is so delicate and tender that one kilogram of Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun has 14,000 to 15,000 tea shoots.
Today, Bi Lo Chun is cultivated in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Sichuan. The most esteemed Bi Luo Chun is still to be found in the Dong Ting Mountain in Jiangsu.
Yuhua Tea
Yu Hua (Rain Flower) tea is Nanjing's local tea, and also a favorite throughout China. It has a light and elegant flavor, with a hint of sweetness. The dark green leaves are long and round with a sharp point, much like small pine needles. Yu Hua tea was the favorite morning tea when Nanjing was the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, almost 1,600 years ago, and has remained popular since then. It takes its poetic name from the Rain Flower Terrace area of southern Nanjing, where it was first grown. In order to carry forward the tea culture, a grand Yuhua Tea Festival in mid-April is held every year in Nanjing. Its activity chiefly involves tea-art demonstration, tea-picking on the spot, tea-frying demonstration and answers to questions on tea. All these are aimed at popularizing knowledge of tea, publicizing tea culture, enhancing the reputation of Yuhua tea and reinforcing people's understanding of Yuhua tea, hence making it popular among people far and wide.
Yang Xian Tea
Better known as the home of some of China's best teapots, the town of Yixing near Wuxi also produces its own excellent green tea. It is called Yang Xian tea, after an ancient name for the area. It has a light and mellow taste with just a touch of bitterness, and brews a very light colored tea. Yang Xian tea has been grown for over 2,000 years, making it one of China's oldest teas. It has long been renowned for its excellent quality, and was often sent to the capital for the use of the imperial family. It is picked early in spring, when the leaves are long and thin, but still very fresh and tender. The dry leaves are flat and pointed, with sharp edges, looking almost like tiny spear blades.
Chinese Longevity
A long, healthy, prosperous life is one of the most admirable and highest goals of humanity. The old Chinese saying that people rarely live beyond 70 is becoming outdated as an increased number of Chinese are now living longer and healthier lives. Statistics show that the present Chinese life expectancy is 71 years, much longer than the world's average of 65 years. In Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, a street originally called Taipingmen has been renamed Longevity Street because of the growing number of long-lived people there.
There are many elements which contribute to people's longevity, including genetic make-up, geographical and climatic environment, living conditions, dietary habits and social background. Chinese drink green tea mostly; it contains energetic and healing properties which are the mystic strength and basis of the life. Tea-drinking is a great ritual: Chinese never add sugar to green tea and take it in sips to enjoy the aroma.
Chinese carpets, wall hangings, and other items often include a symbol that is associated with long life. The symbol is often worn as an amulet in Jade. Often, the symbol is accompanied by five Fu Bats. Whatever the material, the symbol is said to bring the user good luck and a long life.
|
Top spots
