Acupuncture and moxibustion: intangible cultural heritage of humanity

File photo taken on July 13, 2006 shows an obese child reading a book as he receives an acupuncture treatment for obesity in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Acupuncture and moxibustion are forms of traditional Chinese medicine widely practised in China and also found in regions of south-east Asia, Europe and the Americas. They are among the most widely practiced Chinese therapies in the country and is gaining increasing popularity in the West. The theories of acupuncture and moxibustion hold that the human body acts as a small universe connected by channels, and that by physically stimulating these channels the practitioner can promote the human body's self-regulating functions and bring health to the patient. This stimulation involves the burning of moxa (mugwort) or the insertion of needles into points on these channels, with the aim to restore the body's balance and prevent and treat disease. In acupuncture, needles are selected according to the individual condition and used to puncture and stimulate the chosen points. Currently, acupuncture sections were set up in all Chinese Medicine hospitals, which now number 2,000 all over China. It now can be applied to different systems inside the human body. In addition,much valuable information have been obtained in the study of acupuncture, in its regulative function, in easing pain, in developing the immunity system, and in the study of human channels, acupuncture points, and internal organs. It was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO in 2010. Moxibustion is usually divided into direct and indirect moxibustion, in which either moxa cones are placed directly on points or moxa sticks are held and kept at some distance from the body surface to warm the chosen area. Moxa cones and sticks are made of dried mugwort leaves. Acupuncture and moxibustion are taught through verbal instruction and demonstration, transmitted through master-disciple relations or through members of a clan. Currently, acupuncture and moxibustion are also transmitted through formal academic education. (Xinhua/Zhou Chao)