When 21-year-old Kingsley Ho Chun-ngai wakes up, he does an “acupoint” massage between his eyebrows and behind his ears.
This stimulates the body’s life energy to improve blood flow and relax muscles.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Angel Li Sun-yi uses acupuncture to manage stomach aches, menstrual cramps and even nervousness.
“I can apply acupuncture because it’s so quick and convenient ... [Stimulating] one point can affect our body,” Li said.
Both Ho and Li adopted these habits as Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) students enrolled in the Chinese medicine programme. The ancient field of study has recently experienced a surge in popularity.
Promoting Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dates back around 2,000 years. It uses practices like acupuncture, massage and herbal medicine to heal by balancing a person’s life energy. This is known as the qi.
Dr Sarah Chan Sze-nga is the programme director of CUHK’s bachelor of Chinese medicine programme. She said Hong Kong has recently seen a surge of interest in TCM, partly due to government efforts.
In 2024, Hong Kong launched its first traditional Chinese medicine festival. Part of the festival’s purpose was to get students interested in studying the field.
The Hong Kong government has also established a Chinese Medicine Development Committee. It will recommend strategies to enhance the field over the next two years.
The doctor said the Covid-19 pandemic also increased interest in TCM. People were visiting these doctors more.
“After a Covid [infection], they had some tiredness; they had some fatigue ... Western medicine cannot treat these symptoms, so they would go to Chinese medicine,” Chan explained.
In recent years, Chinese medicine has even gone viral on social media. Celebrities like Ariana Grande and Zayn Malik have praised a Chinese herbal syrup.
The next generation
Ho and Li both began studying Chinese medicine at CUHK in 2022. CUHK offers a six-year bachelor’s programme as well as several different master’s and doctoral programmes.
Li fell in love with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) after attending a talk on the subject when she was in secondary school.
“I started to borrow books about Chinese medicine and searched the internet. I was fascinated,” Li said.
Li enjoyed studying biology in school. However, she chose to pursue Chinese medicine because she thought Western methods could be too aggressive.
As for Ho, he learned about Chinese medicine from a novel he read as a secondary student.
“I started to get into the philosophical theory of Chinese medicine ... This boosted [my interest],” Ho said.
Modernising an ancient practice
Hong Kong’s Chinese medicine programmes have adapted to the times. Chan said it was important to teach TCM within the context of modern medicine.
“For Western medicine, they have many skills to diagnose [diseases], like radiology, X-rays and lab tests ... They have surgical treatments – that is [their] strength,” Chan explained.
“But for Chinese medicine, we also have our strengths, especially for functional problems [when] you cannot find any problems after you get all the health tests,” Chan added. She said that patients with issues that cannot be diagnosed using Western methods can often find relief through TCM.
About two dozen hospitals in Hong Kong offer a mix of Chinese and Western practices.
Set to open in Tseung Kwan O by the end of this year, the city’s first Chinese medicine hospital will also provide integrated Chinese and Western clinical services.
