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CHINA TRIP

AAAOM conducted its third trip to China from April 9th to April 23rd, 2009, under the guidance of AAAOM academic dean Dr. Yubin Lu. One of the first stops on the trip was AAAOM's sister school, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its affiliated TCM hospitals. AAAOM students and some acupuncture practitioners in the group were able to "test drive" a newly-developed pulse diagnosis machine (see below). Also on the itinerary were Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Jinan, Qufu, Taishan and Qingdao. Group members experienced many never-to-be-forgotten moments as they stood beside the Terracotta soldiers of Xi'an, enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Guilin, saw the Water Cube and Bird's Nest featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and climbed the Great Wall.

A Student's View of China by Tasha Boehland
In April I joined a group of ten people for a tour of China, led by AAAOM academic dean Dr. Yubin Lu. The itinerary was extensive and ambitious. We kicked off the tour visiting some of the most beautiful and interesting places imaginable! A few of the highlights were Chinese almond trees blossoming everywhere you looked, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Shanghai, Confucius' hometown, Small Goose Pagoda, Jinan's Thousand Buddha Mountain, Bauto Spring, Qingdao, Kung Fu at The Red Theatre, Taishan Mountain (which was painted yellow with wild Lian Qiao flowers), Reed Flute Cave, and the Terracotta Army.

One of the first places we visited was Guilin, in the southern part of China. Many people say this is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I agree. Imagine floating down a river that is carving its way through many steep, open-faced heaps of limestone that are each covered and surrounded by luscious green jungle. It was astonishing. Equally as impressive was the snake wine for sale inside the boat. I remembered this from my Chinese herbology class as a legendary elixir for Bi syndrome (arthritis), so I had to give it a try. It tasted like fermented gasoline but looked very impressive!

As a student of traditional Chinese medicine, one of my favorite days was our tour of Shandong University and Hospitals. I tried to picture my teachers as students there, since this is where most of them trained. One room in the university was dedicated to acupuncture tools from ancient to modern, including a replica of the Ming Dynasty bronze statue (a "map" of acupuncture points on the human body). Their classroom for tuina massage students had a computerized "rice bag" that would electronically chart the pressure and movements applied to it, making it easier for students to reproduce the techniques taught by their professor. Another room was dedicated to tongue diagnosis, with wax models of tongues of any shape and coating imaginable. Then we came to a room filled with pulse-simulating machines. What a great invention! If only every student were able to train with one of these machines - we'd probably be much more adept and confident at taking pulses!

One of the things that impressed me the most about China was how clean they keep their land. We have all heard about the poor air quality, but we never hear of how spotless they keep their grounds. I was happy to see as many recycling receptacles as trashcans and was amazed at the city landscaping. They plant an overabundance of trees and flowers wherever they can squeeze them in - even on highway overpasses. Dr. Lu's trip was two of the best weeks of my life. I highly recommend it to anyone who is studying or practicing Chinese medicine, or anyone who simply wants to be in good hands while touring China.

An Inspirational Story by Changzhen Gong, AAAOM President
The most touching stories in the world are not the ones created by fiction writers. Sometimes a seemingly insignificant incident can create an extraordinary story. Leland Brenholt, a graduate of the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, had an experience in China which confirms this point. Leland joined AAAOM's tour group and arrived in China on April 7, 2007. This was the second group of AAAOM students to tour China, led by AAAOM academic dean Yubin Lu. They climbed the Great Wall at Badaling, visited the ancient capital of Xi'an, made a pilgrimage to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, and walked beside the earthly paradise of West Lake.

Over the course of two weeks these American students were exposed to an enormous range of ancient and modern Chinese culture. In addition to the historic sites, they visited TCM universities and hospitals in Beijing and Hangzhou, where they participated in discussions with TCM doctors. The last stop of the trip was Shanghai, the business capital of modern China, where Dr. Lu and most of the tour group departed for America on April 21. Leland Brenholt stayed in China, however, because he had arranged to travel by train from Shanghai to Jinan in order to visit AAAOM alumnus Brian Grosam, who was then a Ph.D. student at Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Leland planned to stay in Jinan for two weeks and study traditional Chinese medicine at the university.

The evening Leland's train was ready to pull out of the Shanghai railroad station, suddenly one of the passengers in his compartment tilted forward and fell to the ground. Leland realized this man was having a heart attack, and without hesitating Leland began to administer the CPR and first aid techniques he had learned. He gave the dying man artificial respiration and suctioned phlegm from the patient's mouth with his mouth. He shouted for help, but no ambulance came and there were no doctors around. He tried all the first aid measures he could think of and also used the acupoint Renzhong (DU 26). The passenger seemed to revive briefly when Leland stimulated Renzhong, but he soon passed away. Leland was so distressed when the man died that he began apologizing to the passengers in the compartment. One of those passengers happened to be a reporter for the Qilu Evening Newspaper who photographed Leland as he attempted to revive the passenger. The photo (above) and story appeared in the paper right away. The reporter did not know Leland's name at that time; he only knew that Leland was an American doctor.

When Leland arrived in Jinan, he was an instant celebrity. Reporters surrounded him and their interviews appeared on the radio, television and internet. The newspaper and radio station gave Leland a Chinese name: Le Lan. Le Lan became a Chinese hero overnight. People called him the new "Bai Qiuen" (a Canadian doctor who helped the Chinese people during World War II). One newspaper said Le Lan was a "saint doctor" who came from America. Even a Chinese financial news service reported the story and told its readers they should emulate the American doctor Le Lan. As Le Lan walked the streets of Jinan, people pressed against him on all sides, and everyone competed to have their photograph taken with him. After meeting with Leland, the leaders of Shandong University of TCM invited him to present his experiences before them, and they refused to accept any payment from him for the course of study he intended to take at their university (not to mention the banquet they organized in his honor).

In the press, journalists asked "What lessons can we learn from the American doctor?" They decided there are no national boundaries when human beings face life and death situations; only love. The media uproar became even greater when Leland stated that he wanted to meet the dead man's relatives and apologize to them. They said the American doctor's love was so great, he not only attempted to rescue a life from death, but he continued to think about the living. They portrayed him as "an angel in white" who didn't recognize national boundaries or ethnic differences. In order to express his family's thanks and appreciation to Leland, the passenger's younger brother traveled to Jinan and presented Leland with a big wooden tablet with the inscription: "Noble sentiment, moving heart, building up harmony together, Qiuen of this era."

Leland Brenholt returned to his "normal" life in America, where he is an acupuncture practitioner and martial arts instructor. But his one month in China has had a profound impact on his life. The consequences of his unhesitating impulse to reach out to another human being have expanded like ripples in a pond. Shanghai is a large, modern city with a booming economy and high-tech conveniences. But Leland's story exposed the fact that there was no emergency medical technician (EMT) or advanced life support capacity at the Shanghai railroad station. Several organizations in Shanghai invited Leland to help them train EMTs, and Leland has already been instrumental in setting up the Yu Shouhai EMT Program, named after the train passenger whose life he tried to save. As Leland told a Chinese reporter, life is absolutely unpredictable. One single moment in a train compartment totally changed his journey and his plans. One action of his started a conversation with millions of Chinese people. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, something could happen that would affect so many?

Ancient Chinese Secrets by Leland Brenholt
In the spring of 2007 I visited my friend and fellow AAAOM graduate Brian Grosam in Jinan city, Shandong province, China, where he and his family had been living for more than a year while he studied for his Ph.D. in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Every morning we would go to the park and practice Tai Chi with master Zheng, grab a quick breakfast from a street vendor in the open market, and head over to the teaching hospital at Shandong University of TCM for classes. After the first week of observing Dr. Shan, who would sometimes treat up to 60 patients in one morning, I leaned over to Brian and whispered, "When do we get to see the ancient secret acupuncture techniques?"

Brian (pictured below with AAAOM graduate Neng Thao, who also completed his Ph.D. at Shandong University) chuckled quietly and said, "I spent almost a year waiting to see the secret techniques, and I finally asked one of the physicians. They just laughed and said there are none."

To me, that was one of the most eye-opening moments of the whole experience at the Chinese TCM hospital. As students at AAAOM we had received the SAME training as our Chinese counterparts. I realized how authentic this school is in almost all aspects to what one would expect to find in China. The herbal pharmacy, the artwork adorning our space, the skills and patience of the faculty, the academic expectations, the emphasis on effective clinical care - these are truly treasures imported directly from China to our community here in Minnesota.

Experiencing China by Lindsey Zeutenhorst and Nick Dougherty
During the month of April, 2007, we were able to take a two-week tour of China. Our group consisted of twelve near strangers. Before we left we received a packed itinerary that seemed impossible for anyone to complete in only two weeks. We saw tombs, walls, gardens, museums, and temples. We visited TCM hospitals, climbed pagodas, and ate special dinners. We had no idea that we would learn and see so much, and we were in awe of everything that we experienced.

Beijing was the first of the historical portion of our trip. The Temple of Heaven used to be a place for the emperor to pray for good harvest. In the past no one was ever allowed to enter the Temple of Heaven, and ironically today it is a gathering place for people. As we walked among the hundreds of people, we realized that even in a city of 15 million, China has maintained a very strong community. The people of Beijing go there to do their morning exercises, practice Tai Chi and Qi Gong, sing, play cards and simply be together. There were points of the trip that felt very surreal, but standing at the top of the Great Wall was very grounding. As we made our way up the Great Wall, each step reminded us of the diligence, perseverance, and courage inherent to Chinese culture.

The second part of our historical tour was the ancient city of Xi'an. The people of Xi'an are very proud that their city has never been attacked, as it has been protected by the surrounding city wall that is still standing today. The wall is still used for walking, biking, running marathons, and to view the beautiful city below it. In addition to the 7 million people that live in Xi'an, it is also home to 7,000 Terracotta Warriors. This was one of the most amazing sites that we saw on our tour. These warriors were made to be a replica of Emperor Qin's army, and they were meant to protect him in his afterlife. Each warrior was dressed for rank and each had original faces and expressions. The number of soldiers and the extent of the details are what made this site so amazing.

To begin the second part of our trip we set out on a bus ride to the town of Dali. Traveling to Dali took us on a tour of the Chinese countryside. We saw people working in fields, and we stopped at markets where we ate delicious fruit. This was in sharp contrast to the bustling city life of the people of Beijing and Xi'an. Around dinner time we all walked from our hotel to a quaint little restaurant about five blocks away. The streets of downtown Dali are amazing. They are lined with small shops selling everything you can imagine. Had we not been going to a restaurant, we would have tasted some of the interesting foods for sale at one of the many BBQ stands. A TCM pharmacy which had a selection of herbs unsurpassed to what we had ever seen made for a nice detour. Although we were only in this small town for a short time, it had a big impact on everyone. We make no exaggeration when we say that our hearts are in Dali.

After another long bus ride, this time through the mountains, we arrived at the town of Lijiang. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is one of the only snow covered peaks in the region. It is surrounded by a national park in which many of the plants there are TCM herbs. We took a chair lift up the mountain where we walked through trails to closely view the peak of the mountain. Here we encountered many of the native people of Lijiang, the Naxi people. Their rosy cheeks reminded us of the high elevation of their living conditions. This also makes them more prone to stroke and other blood disorders. Dr. Lu brilliantly pointed out that the very mountain supports herbs that specifically treat those disorders. We were amazed by the fact that this sacred mountain was taking care of its people (see next story below).

The last portion of our trip was to acquaint us with modern China. To say that the city of Hangzhou is a beautiful city would be an understatement. It is home of West Lake, a huge man-made lake that was the beginning of the Grand Canal. In addition to the beautiful sights of Hangzhou we also took a tour of the TCM university there. The Zhejiang Chinese Medical University occupies over 140 acres, has 10 affiliated hospitals, and currently hosts over 10,000 students. Just walking around the campus you can feel how special it is.

The final city on our tour was Shanghai, the epitome of modern China. It is home to over 17 million people. Being that most of us are from much, much smaller towns, this staggering number of people was a bit overwhelming! After shopping and eating in Shanghai we gathered in Dr. Lu's room for one last night in China. We came together now not as strangers but as friends. As we toasted and talked about the trip, we looked back on how very unique this tour was. We saw so many different sides to China, which also brought out the different sides of each other. As we reminisced, fireworks began to go off right outside of our window. This random display was the perfect finale to our unforgettable trip to China.

A Holy Mountain Cares for Its People by Dr. Yubin Lu
China is a vast land containing vastly different geographic features in different areas. On our second AAAOM-sponsored trip to China, we included the small city of Lijiang in the southwest part of China, which is about 8,000 feet above sea level. Close to the city, we saw a huge snow-covered mountain with multiple peaks. The mountain sits quietly behind the city with a patch of white clouds around it. Our tour guide told us that this mountain was considered to be a holy mountain by the local people. It is called Yulong Xue Shan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) because there is always a patch of clouds right above it, even if there are no clouds in other parts of the sky. Furthermore, from certain angles of view, the clouds look like a dragon that is flying from the mountain.

The major peaks of the mountain are always covered with snow, and the highest peak is about 18,000 feet above sea level. The tour guide, knowing that we came from an acupuncture school, told us that this area produces many Chinese herbs, the most famous ones being San Qi, Hong Hua, Tian Ma, Dong Chong Xia Cao and Bei Mu. She also told us that the people of Yulong Xue Shan always drink Hong Hua tea, and they like to chew San Qi everyday. As soon as she said that, I wanted to shout out, "My God, how great nature is! It provides everything for human beings to live." In one flash of insight, I had seen how harmoniously the people of that district live with their surroundings: how completely nature provides for their specific needs in that specific place.

At high mountain altitudes there is less oxygen content in the air. People living in high places like Lijiang require higher hemoglobin content in the blood in order to carry more oxygen, which will also cause a higher blood viscosity. High blood viscosity, in turn, makes people more susceptible to cerebrocardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and stroke. However, the incidence of these diseases in Lijiang is no higher than that in lower-altitude areas. Why? The answer lies in the correlation between the herbs produced in the local area and the people's living habits. The herbs produced in the local area, including San Qi, Hong Hua and Tian Ma, are the most important and most effective herbs in Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of cerebrocardiovascular diseases.

According to TCM theory, San Qi moves blood to relieve pain and removes stagnated blood to subdue swelling. Yunnan Bai Yao, which contains San Qi as the main ingredient, is a miracle formula that is super effective in treating both blood stasis and bleeding. Hong Hua is another herb which effectively treats cardiovascular diseases, and Tao Hong Si Wu Tang is the basic formula for all types of blood stasis. Tian Ma is another very good herb for treating cerebrocardiovascular diseases. Additionally, Dong Chong Xia Cao and Bei Mu are also the best herbs in Chinese medicine for asthma and cough. Dong Chong Xia Cao is one of the major herbs we use to prevent attacks of asthma or shortness of breath, while Bei Mu is the best herb for dissolving phlegm and relieving cough. Considering the low oxygen content of mountain air, people living there may have some shortness of breath, but they do not need to worry since nature provided them with the best herbs for easy breathing.

Now I suddenly realized why the best herbs in Chinese medicine are mainly produced in this mountainous area. They are there to help the local people and to create better living conditions for them. The environment there is not perfect for human health, but nature arranged a way to make up for this, so that the mountain people of Lijiang can live just as well as people in other areas of the globe. I always have to praise nature and remember how well nature takes care of us.