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Editor's note: Finding an economical and effective way to help combat disease is a challenge for every society. China is no exception and is sparing no effort to step up medical reform.However, one case has sparked a fierce debate online. Liu Weizhong, director of the Gansu Health Department and known for actively promoting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), promoted qigong as an affordable way to help people in the relatively underdeveloped areas keep fit. |
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Invincible kung fu?
Myth: The Health Department of Gansu Province organized a nine-day qigong course for health officials and medical workers this month. "After the qigong training, 41 of the 47 practitioners have successfully opened up Conception Vessel (ren mai) and Governor Vessel (du mai)," said a statement posted on the department's official website on Tuesday. "They feel vigorous after the accomplishment. Their old diseases are now relieved or cured, and their diet, sleep, and bowel movement are back to normal," it said. Popular kung fu fictions mention that martial arts masters -- often practitioners of qigong -- become undefeatable after opening up the two vessels. But it requires years or even decades to accomplish this.
One writer going by the name "Da Xia" asked whether Liu was a kung fu master or a health official. Others wondered why medical workers would be practicing kung fu instead of practicing medicine. "If they're capable of doing that, I really hope these health officials can teach everyone in this country this skill so no one will get sick again," said a netizen screenamed Huluyao Lulu.
"As an important stage in qigong exercises, opening up the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel means letting the 'qi' inside one's body flow freely to coordinate Yin and Yang, but there is no way of telling whether one's two vessels are opened up or not because it's just a feeling of the practitioner, " Li said.
"We've all been reading kung fu novels and watching kung fu movies since we were kids. Because of the misleading information in those novels, many of us think that opening up the two vessels is a very difficult thing to do, but I want to tell you . . . it is not supernatural kung fu," Liu said in a weibo post. The Gansu health department said that misunderstanding over the qigong claim was a result of insufficient work to introduce TCM theories among the public. |
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Pig foot soup?
Liu has more than one million microblog followers. "We had 340 patients here after the fatal landslide in Zhouqu (in Gansu province) and the fatal earthquake in Yushu (in Qinghai province). All of them had my pig foot soup and recovered soon," said Liu, who has a medical license and studied medicine at the Lanzhou Medicine College in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, from 1978 to 1982."Patients with serious ailments need nutritious food like pig feet soup. I never said that the soup was a type of medicine, only that it enhanced the effect of medicine," Liu said.
Zhu Lijia, a professor from the Chinese Academy of Governance, said government officials should be careful on the Internet due to their special positions. "Their words could have unexpected consequences," he said. His blogs might possibly mislead the public, as they may believe that the Gansu provincial government is supporting Liu's recommendations, according to Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance.
"I lack experience. Netizens are welcome to raise suggestions regarding the local health department's work, as well as questions about the development of traditional Chinese medicine," he wrote. Liu said in his micro blog that all his attempts were intended to find a simple and affordable way to help people in the relatively underdeveloped areas keep fit. "I am already in my 50s and willing to sacrifice my political career for the development of traditional Chinese medicine and the benefits of the patients,” Liu wrote. |
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Online response: Chinese netizens fought back with negative comments.
Experts view: Li Yingcong, a professor at the Gansu Institute of TCM, said qigong is not as magical as described in kung fu novels.
Self-defense: Liu Weizhong, director of the Gansu Health Department and the man behind the nine-day qigong course, said the practice is not as mysterious as it sounds.
Myth: Liu Weizhong, 54, was given the nickname "pig foot director" by netizens after advocating the medical benefits of pig feet on his microblog account.
Experts view: "It is dangerous to feed pig foot soup to patients. The soup can easily cause stress ulcers in their digestive systems," according to Xiao Ji, a postgraduate student of clinical medicine at Shanghai Communication University's School of Medicine.
Self-defense: Liu was quick to apologize after the incident of pig feet.
