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ah

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me

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the chinese healing arts are rooted in

the distant past

i went on a journey to the remote

province of yunnan on a quest for the

elusive qi

the mysterious energy of life

how much of the ancient knowledge has

survived

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jing hung the city of dawn

even in winter a warm subtropical breeze

blows here

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68-year-old dr yuen travels all the way

across town every morning to work

he represents the seventh generation in

a family of traditional chinese medicine

practitioners

under mao's rule dr yuan like all family

doctors had to work in a state-run

hospital

not until the economic reform was he

finally able to open a private practice

again

[Music]
the left hand corresponds to the heart

liver and kidneys

the right to the lungs spleen and the

triple burner meridians

the pulse is taken on three levels

superficial middle and deep that's how

the pulse diagnosis works

where does it hurt

i have a lot of pain in my abdomen

i've had the same thing in the past i

don't know what it is

does it hurt when you pass water

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but my whole body itches

don't worry we'll take care of it

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[Music]

but your husband has to take the

medicine too otherwise it won't go away

for both of us

then prescribe more

four packets maybe

pharmacist in one

he has gathered most of the medicinal

ingredients himself

in ancient china recipes for herbal

remedies were well-guarded family

secrets

as tradition dictates his son is in line

to take over the family practice one day

there is great demand for their services

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[Applause]

now let me have the other one i have to

give it a stroke too

what do you see there

something isn't right the color is

unusual

what's the matter

yes digestive problems under cold

please

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where do your patients come from

from all over china and even abroad from

places like thailand myanmar and laos

many

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you have to have a medical degree to

open a practice

many traditional herbalists do a very

good job but they can't open a practice

if they haven't studied medicine

if they do the government regards them

as illegal questions

this specialist knowledge can't be found

in reference manuals

each generation

brings new findings

this is how such a huge store of

knowledge was amassed over time

you chew a piece of it then swallow it

and i guarantee you your pain will

vanish within 10 minutes

the biggest problem today is that the

mountain woodlands are being deforested

if they keep that up many herbs will

become extinct

i have begun to grow some of these rare

herbs myself

so that they don't die out

but that alone is not enough

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while dr yuen relaxed after a long work

day i set off on my way

we crossed the mekong river and headed

up into a remote mountain region close

to the burmanese border

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this is the home of one of china's many

ethnic minorities

the akka

jian kang is one of them he not only

plants tea

he also has unsurpassed knowledge of the

medicinal plants that grow wild in this

mountain region

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it's a traditional medicinal plant

it's mainly used to treat duodenal

infections

it's also prescribed for dysentery

this is a moose tree

it cures coughs pneumonia and heart

ailments

it's also a hemostatic to stop bleeding

it can be used externally as well as

internally

the dragon that climbs up the tree

it's used externally to treat sprains

broken bones and dislocated joints

we use this one here to treat cuts it's

applied directly to the open wound

now we'll just scrape off a bit of it

[Applause]

when you cut yourself you can curb the

blood flow by sprinkling this powder

across the cup

there are numerous applications for

medicinal twigs and barks

take this mixture for example the bits

come from different trees

the active ingredients are everywhere in

the world

we found this mixture to be extremely

effective in treating men with potency

problems

the success rate is excellent

after taking this medicine

three-quarters of all patients are able

to get an erection

they can perform again

you take a portion of it and chop it up

then you boil it all in water until it

gets soft and produces a broth

then it's ready not before

so

when you let it steep and then sip it

like tea

the taste isn't particularly intense

but the effect is superb

it really does help

foreign

the mountain people in china have a

reputation for superstition

a reminder from the bureau of propaganda

wasn't exactly overjoyed that we wanted

to film here

but one of the local healers is a real

luminary yen nunchu

he can even heal broken bones with herbs

he also uses ancient shamanistic

incantations to support the healing

process

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yes a little

now you'll get a herb complex

what do you do after you've seen the

x-ray

the x-ray shows me how and where the

bone is broken

then i have to move it back into the

correct position and set it in a splint

after that i treat the swelling using a

compress of medicinal herbs

they support the healing process

that's it

my grandfather taught me

but there are also written records

for instance we have a book written in

the dai scriptures

it contains many herbal recipes the

mixing ratios of the ingredients and how

to apply them

the dye wrote all of that down a sort of

user's manual

it should be used with a pure heart

you need a clear conscience if you want

to keep developing what my grandfather

spent his whole life gathering and

documenting

he handed down his life's work to us so

that we could continue to advance it

as you can see we're keeping the

practice going

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here we see a broken thigh bone

in a traffic accident

i was riding in the back of a truck on

top of the cargo

the truck started to skid

and because the load wasn't secured

properly i fell off

i could already prop myself up on my own

you see

when i first came here i was in such

pain that i couldn't move at all

you can see on the x-ray how the bone

was sticking out

how long will you have to stay here

in five weeks i should be able to walk

again he said in five weeks

in western medicine they'd have put in

an iron plate with screws in it

but after eight months it would have all

had to come out again

that would have meant two operations for

me which would have been much more

trouble

in traditional medicine it takes longer

to heal

but i don't have to be operated

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no she has arthritis

her leg feels quite numb the knee is

infected and it hurts

you can see how much swelling there is

and then the chi can flow freely again

he rubs in the tree with his hands

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foreign

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the die our devote buddhists not just

the doctor but the gods and spirits too

are called on to aid in the healing of

body and soul

ritual offerings are made at little

altars one for each individual patient

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[Laughter]

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hmm

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there is a chinese saying

one drinks tea to forget the noise of

the world

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in beijing the old imperial capital is

changed almost beyond recognition

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i took a taxi to the western part of the

city to the renowned guang un men

hospital one of the few places where

traditional chinese medicine is being

systematically researched and further

developed

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over 10 000 different herbs and other

natural healing agents from all over

china are stored on the ground floor

a customized remedy is prepared for each

patient

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four floors above we find the

acupuncture department

dr huang has worked here for 20 years

and is one of the most experienced

experts in the field

his station can hardly cope with the

daily flood of patients streaming in

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hello doctor hello

what's the trouble

nervous headaches

for years now

is it because of your sleep patterns or

are you stressed and overworked

i'm often tired and nervous and then i

get these bad headaches or when i've

worked through the night

you spend a lot of time on the internet

yes that's right

we can treat it with acupuncture

you'll be just fine

here on the left anywhere else at the

temples maybe

it always starts here and moves to the

left side as it gets stronger

does it hurt here too

yes there too

and here

yes at the left temple and around the

eyes

good now relax

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or make them vibrate like this

making the needles vibrate intensifies

sensitivity to the needle that increases

the effect

the needle needs chi

when there's no chi then you must use

the toning technique the patient has to

consciously feel the chi a distinct

sense of heaviness has to set in a firm

full feeling only then can you get a

really good result

where does

into the lung meridian then further onto

the hand where all the meridians meet

from there it flows out through the

entire body in constant circulation

without ever stopping

what happens when it stops flowing

it's like with the heart and blood

circulation when the heart stops the

entire circulatory system collapses and

life is over

to this day we have not been able to

figure out exactly why the meridian

system is constructed the way it is

it's a model that dates back thousands

of years

scientific method has failed to confirm

the existence of the meridians

acquiring and passing on the ancient

wisdom is a demanding task we practice

traditional medicine to the best of our

ability and we don't really question it

because the results are so outstanding

[Music]

ah

chinese medicine originated over 3000

years ago

some of its principles are difficult to

grasp from a western viewpoint

according to the teaching the life force

known as chi is everywhere

it is an energy that cannot be seen but

it can be worked with

i went to the national qigong institute

to meet with dr soon

using his hands he is able to gather qi

from the environment transform and

release it again

there is also a hardening in the chest

do you feel the qi

it's unpleasant

you're feeling the chi of the chest

cavity

is there again

i couldn't lift my arms before

i could only manage up to here

now suddenly i can move again

i felt something while he was working on

me

a hot taut feeling in my fingertips

he just seems to have special spiritual

abilities

we ordinary people can't grasp these

things

we don't really understand how he does

it

it's as if he could look into your body

with his x-ray eyes

next to nothing was known about it back

then all you could do was wait to die

they couldn't do anything for me at the

hospital either so for me there was only

one solution i started to practice

qigong
i spent eight months working intensively

to build up my cheese

when i got up in the morning i did

qigong

then i ate lunch and practice again in

the afternoon and again after dinner

i kept up this training schedule for

eight months

after that i was cured

but i carried on practicing

then i discovered that i could identify

illness in other people

at first i was unsure of myself and had

to ask for confirmation

but after observing more and more people

i knew for sure who was sick and who

wasn't

over time i became more confident and

precise in my diagnosis

i've continued to develop this ability

over many years

your neck will be very difficult to heal

your cervical spine column has

completely collapsed

this is very hard to treat

medically speaking there's no therapy

there's medical apparatus for it

we're going to pull the vertebrae apart

again otherwise soon every movement will

be painful

you can't hold your head straight

and your shoulders are cramped up i'm

sure you also have pain when you're

lying down

yes

today we're going to work on your spine

my spine

and there's trouble with your

circulation too

you have to take care of your heart

have you read my medical records

not necessary i'm giving you a thorough

look

and that tells you everything

i can only give advice

choose

we don't use pillows

you should be comfortable

so let's get started

so

so

so

finished

okay

you can get up now how do you feel

give your shoulders and neck a test

is very

comprehensive we first work to build up

the body and strengthen the entire human

being

but it goes even further

we also use it to develop our spiritual

faculties

and make our thought processes more

conscious

we can tap this whole great potential

beyond the physical surface there's

another vast region that's why qigong

isn't just an effective movement

discipline

you can go one step further and change

your consciousness

the spiritual level is part of it

all encompassing

in china it is said that to treat an

illness a great doctor is needed but

maintaining health requires a true

master

there are different ways to maintain

health but few chinese still practice

the traditional qigong exercises

[Applause]

oh

oh

hey

we're doing this because it stimulates

the whole body

qigong is very healthy

these movements get all the body parts

revved up

the shouting activates the chi and

brings it to the internal organs we

really massage it right in you get

everything moving inside and out that's

why everyone likes it

the only disadvantage is that it takes

so long to do the exercises

an hour plus is too long for some older

people

if you did it anywhere else people would

get pretty upset

that's why we can only do it here

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people in today's china are still

influenced by taoist teachings

which include the traditional healing

arts

i finally received permission to visit

one of the last functioning taoist

convents deep in the wudang mountains an

area shrouded in legend

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taoist hermits used to retreat here over

a thousand years ago to find the harmony

of body and spirit

their ultimate goal was to achieve

immortality

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there were once 500 cloisters scattered

throughout the wudang mountains

only six remain today

the purple cloud palace is one of them

since the late 80s taoist nuns have

again been allowed to carry out

religious ceremonies here

[Applause]

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most of the nuns spent their time in

solitary practice and would hardly say a

word

but then i met a nun called sao

she was prepared to talk to me about chi

and the way of the taoist

how you conduct your daily life is

crucial to maintaining good health

food clothing

living conditions

each is a contributing factor

i go out every day in the fresh air and

spend time among the flowers

under the trees and by the water

there i do my exercises and meditate

i let go of everything and try to clear

my mind of all thought

i push aside everything unpleasant

the heart must become calm

you can meditate standing up without

stretched arms or seated in the lotus

position

the important thing is the subconscious

you have to throw the constant flood of

thought and everything negative

overboard

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each of us nuns has her own room

mine is a testament to all the saints

and other people i believe in

there are very many people

i also have a whole lot of flowers

you can do the daily meditation simply

seated with legs crossed

i sit in a cross-legged position

the simple lotus there is also an

intermediate and an advanced lotus

position

when i sit down to meditate i interlock

my thumbs

fold my hands together and rest them on

my navel

this hand position is called the mudra

of life

or i make circles with my thumbs and

index fingers

there are many different mudras

such as the mudra fearlessness

and a fulfillment

each one has its own specific effect

provided that the mind is clear and

comedy

one of the primary meridians runs from

back here over the head

and then back down here

like a circulatory system or the cycle

of a day

the new hour

is good for the heart because it lets

the fire burn lower you relax

a feeling of extreme lightness and

relaxation

it allows you to achieve long life and

enlightenment

we enter into the prime source of

existence

when we practice inner kung fu

we harmonize the internal organs

is different to that of the man

first we focus our full concentration on

the breasts and store the chi there

men do it differently

they don't store their essence in the

abdomen where women store their chi

so there's a small difference there

in taoism the polarities yin and yang

unite at the highest summit on tai chi

nothing can exist beyond the highest

point

for centuries monks have practiced tai

chi to achieve this harmony

for a long time wudang tai chi was only

handed down in a secret tradition

oh

oh

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when i was 14 my parents felt it was

time i became independent

they sent me into the wudang mountains

to study the taoist teachings with a

master

to become stronger and healthier

that's why they sent me here

the teaching says with softness you

conquer hardness through the movement

with calm

that refers to the power of cheese

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why do people die

because the original store of chi is

used up at some point

why do we who follow the way of the dao

live longer than other people

because we enhance our chi when we do

martial arts and meditate

when enough chi is present no one and

nothing can get to us

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[Music]

mmm

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we lay out our dead in the temple for

three days as the soul moves over into

the realm of the dead

sutras are chanted

then the deceased is brought here

must be arranged precisely according to

the laws of feng shui

and the position of the temple

you have to determine the location and

the direction

the soil god must give us consent before

ground is broken for the grave

only then may the deceased one live

there

today

from the eternal cycle of reincarnation

and not returned to be born back again

into this world in a new existence

otherwise we might be born again as a

pig sheep or bird

and have to experience suffering once

again
we call that the eternal cycle of

reincarnation

when the soul has left the body there is

emptiness

only when we have meditated correctly in

our lifetime can we enter the realm of

the immortals

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uh

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i returned to beijing and worldly

pleasures

a farewell meal with my friends at one

of the best restaurants in town

here we indulged in the favorite chinese

national pastime

eating

even that is medicine in china

[Music]

you're right that's ladies made winter

mushroom chicken filled with red dates

sea buckthorn and chinese turmeric it

strengthens the blood enjoy your meal

[Music]

the noodles are prepared with medicinal

plants

[Music]

that gives you a lovely complexion

especially good for girls to eat

[Music]
[Laughter]

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nine i explained to me that we also

taken chi with our food

if i followed all of her advice i would

have a long life ahead of me

and as a chinese proverb says

life is like tea

the longer it steeps the better it will

be

[Music]

[Music]

now

you