(East-West Question) Wu Kai: How to "see the West" in the overseas spread of traditional Chinese medicine?
China News Agency, Kunming, May 28th: How to "see the West" in the overseas spread of traditional Chinese medicine?
——Interview with Wu Kai, head of the Institute of Western Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
China News Agency reporter Han Shuainan
In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine has achieved good results in the treatment of critical illnesses and gained many research results, which has received more attention and recognition from the world medical community.
In the process of fighting against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, traditional Chinese medicine also played an important role.
Acupuncture, cupping and other traditional Chinese medicine treatment methods are also favored by many international friends.
According to Chinese official data, traditional Chinese medicine has spread to more than 190 countries and regions in the world.
When did TCM begin to spread overseas?
What is the difference between traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medicine after it has been spread and developed overseas?
What are the implications of studying the overseas spread of traditional Chinese medicine for Chinese culture to go global?
Recently, Wu Kai, head of the Institute of Western Medicine of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Dongxiwen" to analyze these problems one by one.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service reporter: When did Chinese medicine begin to spread overseas?
Wu Kai:
The overseas spread of traditional Chinese medicine with clear historical records occurred in the Tang Dynasty.
At that time, the eminent Chinese monk Jianzhen traveled east to Japan and spread Chinese culture including traditional Chinese medicine to the local area.
In fact, as early as 2,000 years ago, traditional Chinese medicine began to spread to China's neighboring countries along the Silk Road that originated in the Han Dynasty.
In the era of great voyages, European navigators and explorers also brought Chinese medicine culture back to the West when they explored Asia.
The famous traditional Chinese medicine book "Compendium of Materia Medica" was introduced to the West through missionaries and embassies from the West.
In modern times, a group of experts and scholars who came to China took the initiative to conduct research on traditional Chinese medicine, including Joseph Needham, a foreign academician and scientist of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
His book "Science and Civilization in China" (also known as "History of Science and Technology in China") contains a lot of content about traditional Chinese medicine, which has a profound impact on cultural exchanges between China and the West.
It is worth mentioning that George Soulie De Morant was born in Paris, France in 1878.
Since 1901, during his foreign affairs work in China, Su Lie has studied Chinese medicine and acupuncture from local doctors in Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan and other places.
In 1927, Su Lie began to spread and promote acupuncture in France, and cooperated with local hospitals to carry out acupuncture clinical experiments.
Su Lie was the first person to bring clinical Chinese medicine into the Western medical system, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1950.
His book "The Method of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" is still a textbook for Westerners to learn acupuncture and moxibustion, and he is also known as the "Father of European Acupuncture and Moxibustion".
Original manuscripts of Su Lie's acupuncture works and manuscripts.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Jiaxian
Another important time point is that in the 1970s, the senior American journalist James Reston suddenly suffered from acute appendicitis during his visit to China, and received acupuncture treatment after surgery.
After returning to China, James wrote a manuscript about his experience and the miraculous efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and published it on the front page of The New York Times, which set off an "acupuncture fever" in European and American countries, and also led more countries to study and learn Chinese medicine.
In recent years, the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies have been established in China, Confucius Institutes of Traditional Chinese Medicine have been established in many countries, the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the promotion of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, etc. The overseas spread of medicine has entered a new stage.
China News Agency reporter: How is the development of traditional Chinese medicine in countries around the world? What is the difference between traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medicine after it has been spread and developed overseas?
Wu Kai:
In different countries, the dissemination and development of traditional Chinese medicine are also different.
In some neighboring countries of China, traditional Chinese medicine is mostly integrated into local traditional medicine, such as Kampo in Japan and Eastern medicine in Vietnam.
In Western countries, it is very important whether there are local laws that support the legalization of traditional Chinese medicine.
In Canada, Australia and some states of the United States that have passed TCM legislation, the knowledge system and treatment system of TCM has continued to develop.
In countries without relevant legislation, the local development of traditional Chinese medicine may encounter many difficulties.
In addition, Western people generally have a favorable impression of traditional Chinese medicine represented by acupuncture and moxibustion, but there is a certain prejudice against traditional Chinese medicine.
Animal products have been used in some Chinese medicines, such as rhino horns and tiger bones. Although China has banned them, some Western people still hold stereotypes about Chinese medicines.
Field investigations carried out by the research team of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in France, the United Kingdom and the United States found that many TCM researchers and TCM practitioners in Western countries did not simply "copy" and "paste" traditional Chinese medicine, but let them Traditional Chinese medicine adapts to the local environment or collides with different fields, resulting in a lot of creation and innovation.
The research process has also expanded our cognition: from "Western Chinese Medicine", which believes that Chinese medicine is spread from the Chinese to the West, to "Western Learning of Chinese Medicine", which believes that Chinese medicine is actively learned by Westerners, and then to "Chinese Medicine Western Learning". "Western Creation of Traditional Chinese Medicine" -- believes that the dissemination and development of traditional Chinese medicine in the West is inseparable from the innovation and creation of local people.
Among them are the innovation of utensils, such as the golden needle made by Su Lie, the electro-acupuncture developed in the 18th century, and the moxibustion spoon widely used in Europe and the United States; the innovation of knowledge, such as the French ear acupuncture combined with Western reflexology for acupuncture treatment , this therapy was introduced and influenced China in the 1950s.
There is also the innovation of social structure. Su Lie founded the first acupuncture school in France, Felix Mann opened the first acupuncture clinic in the UK in 1958 in the West End of London, and J.R. Worsley founded the first acupuncture clinic in the UK in 1960. acupuncture school.
In the early 20th century, Su Lie's self-made TCM acupuncture gold needle set.
Photo by China News Agency Fayao Xuezhou
The spread of traditional Chinese medicine in the West even promoted innovation in art.
The British Peter Firebrace combined traditional Chinese medicine and blues music to create a series of humorous and easy-to-remember blues music of traditional Chinese medicine.
When I visited the United States, some schools and clinics posted cartoons about traditional Chinese medicine everywhere, which should alleviate the "culture shock" of patients or new students to unfamiliar medical treatment.
In Spain, a Chinese medicine school used traditional concepts such as the Chinese character "天" and Feng Shui as inspiration for the design of its school building.
Peter Firebrace for a blues CD that combines traditional Chinese medicine and blues music.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Jiaxian
Another interesting point is that Western Chinese physicians use acupuncture to treat pets, a phenomenon that is relatively rare in China.
China News Agency reporter: Why does Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine focus on the study of "Anthropology of Traditional Chinese Medicine"? What are the important research results so far?
Wu Kai:
Anthropology originated in the West. It studies the cultures created by various human races in order to reveal the essence of human culture.
When this knowledge spread to China, Chinese anthropologists mainly used it to study Chinese villages, ethnic groups, etc., but seldom used it to study Western society.
At present, the research of "Western Chinese Medicine" in the Anthropology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine involves Western society, and the research method is anthropology.
Anthropology of traditional Chinese medicine gives us the entry point of "seeing the West", that is, the research on the form of the elements of traditional Chinese medicine in Western society.
At the same time, this discipline is also an opportunity to promote cultural exchanges between China and the West and enhance mutual benefit and trust.
Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine established the key discipline of "Anthropology of Traditional Chinese Medicine" in 2012, and independently set up a master's program in Anthropology of Traditional Chinese Medicine under TCM in 2018.
A total of more than 20 people from the school went to France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Austria and other countries and regions to carry out anthropological field investigations for more than three years, and regularly return to the survey sites.
The biggest research achievement is the Museum of Western Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine located on the campus.
Thanks to the promotion and support of the school over the years, the on-site collection and sorting of the team led by Professor He Ting, a scholar living in France, and the generous donations from all over the world. The museum's collection also includes nearly 3,000 objects, photos, documents from Western Europe and North America, as well as more than 150 hours of audio-visual materials, which comprehensively and in-depth display the history, development and current status of Western-style localized Chinese medicine.
Acupuncture needles made by Luwei Ai taught by students are displayed in the Museum of Western Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Jiaxian
China News Agency reporter: What do you think the study of overseas communication of traditional Chinese medicine can bring to the Chinese culture going global?
Wu Kai:
After Chinese medicine goes overseas, it brings the concepts of "preventive treatment" and "health preservation" that are missing in Western medicine into the world medical system, which plays an important role in promoting the development of world medicine.
In the process of using and disseminating traditional Chinese medicine, overseas TCM researchers and TCM physicians have well promoted Chinese traditional culture to overseas people. meet their needs without causing "culture clashes" because both the communicator and the recipient belong to the same society.
Telling Chinese stories well through Westerners who love and are proficient in Chinese traditional Chinese medicine culture has become an active, direct and effective way of dissemination.
When we communicated with overseas Chinese medicine practitioners, most of them expressed their desire to visit the birthplace of Chinese medicine.
In addition to traditional Chinese medicine culture, they also hope to learn about traditional Chinese culture such as ancient Chinese characters, astronomy, and the Book of Changes.
It can be said that the joint study of traditional Chinese medicine has become an important bridge for cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
At the same time, the overseas dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine is also a "mirror". While studying the "mirror", we can also "reverse" ourselves.
In the communication with countries all over the world, we can understand more clearly what Chinese medicine is and what the positioning of Chinese medicine is in the world.
This is also very important for enhancing the cultural self-confidence of Chinese people.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Wu Kai, associate professor, postgraduate tutor, Ph.D. from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, visiting scholar at University of Manchester, UK, is currently the director of the Institute of Western Chinese Medicine/Museum of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the key subject of the 12th Five-Year Plan of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine "Anthropology of Traditional Chinese Medicine". "The head of the subject, the executive director and deputy secretary-general of the Special Committee of Chinese Medicine Anthropology of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies.