“Amazing!” “So comfortable!” Where were these exclamations of wonder from a group of foreigners coming from? It turned out they were experiencing the “addictive” techniques of traditional Chinese massage. Recently, a group of foreign friends visiting Suzhou stepped into Yiyuan Garden, where they took on the role of “traditional Chinese medicine experience ambassadors” and embarked on an immersive journey combining garden appreciation with an exploration of traditional Chinese medicine culture.
As the gentle autumn breeze blew, the pavilions and towers of Yiyuan Garden harmonised beautifully with the fresh scent of the plants. The participants strolled around, taking in the sights and occasionally pulling out their mobile phones to take photos as mementos. At the start of the event, Sun Yifu, a doctor from the Department of Orthopaedics at Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explained the principles of TCM wellness in simple, accessible language—from the concept of ‘harmony between heaven and man’ to daily health practices—giving our international guests an introductory understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine. After the lecture, everyone gathered in a circle to listen to the melodious strains of the guqin whilst sipping wellness tea. “It tastes lovely; I’m now rather looking forward to its slimming effects,” remarked Alex Whitman, a British player for the Lakeside Football Club, as he sipped his slimming tea.
Subsequently, under the guidance of Sun Wenyi, Head Nurse at Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the participants carefully stuffed mugwort, mint and other herbs into fabric pouches. Before long, their personalised wellness hammers, exuding the fragrance of herbs, were complete. Everyone immediately picked up their hammers to tap their shoulders and pat their backs, filling the room with laughter and cheerful chatter. “I absolutely love this scent!” said Gunjan Yada, an Indian international student at Soochow University, as she tapped her shoulders. “It feels incredibly relaxing; I think I’ll be using it regularly from now on.”
The traditional Chinese massage session brought the event to a climax. As the professional TCM practitioner’s hands settled on the participants’ shoulders, lower backs and waists, skilfully applying techniques such as pressing, kneading and pushing, the international students—who had initially been somewhat tense—gradually relaxed, their faces lighting up with expressions of comfort. “Oh my goodness, this feels absolutely amazing!” exclaimed Alex Whitman, expressing his feelings in Chinese.
When the TCM practitioner pointed to the ear acupressure chart and explained the acupoints on the ear corresponding to various organs of the body, Soroush, an Iranian student at Soochow University, widened his eyes in surprise: “I had no idea there were so many acupoints on the ear!” After experiencing ear seed therapy, he felt his mind was clear and he was refreshed. “I can now appreciate the charm of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I’ll learn more about it in future and share these fascinating experiences with my friends,” said Soroush.