A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) expert performs acupuncture on a patient May 31, 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Li Xiaohong/Handout via Xinhua)
“I gained valuable insight into TCM, which has been used in China for hundreds of years to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases,” a student told Xinhua after the lecture.
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) — 19-year-old Cambodian student Bou Sokcheat was all ears as a team of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts gave a lecture on the benefits and effectiveness of TCM to nearly 200 attendees on Tuesday Asia Euro University (AEU) students here.
For Sokcheat, this rare lecture provided attendees with a good opportunity to learn about the importance of TCM in curing a range of ailments.
“I gained valuable insight into TCM, which has been used in China for hundreds of years to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases,” she told Xinhua after the lecture.
Sokcheat, a first-year student majoring in Chinese literature at the Chinese department of AEU, one of the teaching centers of the Confucius Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the lecture also encouraged people to get involved in self-care efforts that are developing focus on diet, exercise and self-care.
“I think the use of TCM is really good because it can reduce the use of modern medicine,” she said.
Chhang Meng Chhay, an 18-year-old freshman student at AEU, said TCM, which includes therapies such as gua sha massage, acupuncture and cupping, is very useful in treating diseases.
“The presentation gave me new experiences and new knowledge,” he told Xinhua. “For me, TCM is really good for treating disease, reducing the use of modern medicine, and it has high potency.”
From the lecture, Chhay said he learned that there are many TCM techniques that can be used to cure many types of diseases.
“I think TCM is really useful in helping people maintain their health, cure diseases, and live long lives,” he said.
The talk, given by TCM experts from Cambodia-China Friendship Hospital Preah Kossamak in Phnom Penh, was part of a series of activities to mark Confucius Institute Day.
A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) expert performs acupuncture on a patient June 17, 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Li Xiaohong/Handout via Xinhua)
Fan Maorong, one of the TCM experts who gave the lecture, said she was from the Respiratory Department of Xiyuan Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing.
She said the lecture focused on the use of TCM to prevent and treat respiratory diseases and the performance of the Baduanjin qigong exercises.
“Baduanjin (literally “eight steps to a healthy life”) is a kind of exercise in TCM,” Fan told Xinhua. “Usually we can use it to strengthen our bodies.”
She said her team had been in Cambodia for about half a year and illnesses she saw every day in Cambodia included chronic cough, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease and insomnia, among others.
“TCM is good at preventing and treating these diseases, including the after-effects,” she said. “TCM offers many benefits and can help improve the quality of life.”
Fan said that using TCM in combination with Western medicines to treat diseases will be even more effective.
Sam Sophy, Dean of AEU’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Foreign Languages, said the lecture gave students the unique cultural side of TCM and sparked their interest in the field.
“TCM is well known and rapidly gaining popularity around the world for its effectiveness in curing disease,” he said. “The lecture is crucial for students to understand the importance of TCM.”■
