[Music] ah [Music] me [Music] 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 [Music] jing hung the city of dawn even in winter a warm subtropical breeze blows here [Music] 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 [Music] but my whole body itches don't worry we'll take care of it [Music] [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 [Music] [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 [Music] [Music] where do your patients come from from all over china and even abroad from places like thailand myanmar and laos many [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] 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 [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] hmm [Music] [Music] there is a chinese saying one drinks tea to forget the noise of the world [Music] in beijing the old imperial capital is changed almost beyond recognition [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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] [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] [Music] mmm [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] uh [Music] 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] [Music] 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