UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritages in China (1) (6)

Acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine

The item “Acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine” was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

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.

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.