More Than Acupuncture: A Journey of Growth and Connection

Kit Li

May is a month of connection, connection with family, with learning, and with the path I continue to walk. Once again, I returned to Guangzhou, continuing a journey that first began last year.

My deepest gratitude goes to Professor Tang and Director Huang, Head of the Acupuncture Department, whose thoughtful arrangements gave me the invaluable opportunity to continue shadowing the masters at the Acupuncture Department of Nanfang Hospital (1). During this visit, I had the privilege of learning directly from Director Huang, Professor Wang, Director Yang, Professor Li, and Professor Zhao throughout their clinical sessions. Each of these remarkable teachers guided me with patience and generosity, sharing not only their techniques, but also the wisdom and spirit behind their practice.

Although I am already a qualified Chinese Medicine practitioner, this experience reminded me that true learning has no end. The deeper one enters this field, the more one realises how much there still is to understand.

What moved me most profoundly was not only the exquisite needling techniques I observed, but the essence that animated them. In every consultation and every gesture, there was calmness, precision, compassion, and quiet confidence. These masters transformed each clinic day into something far beyond technical instruction, it became a living lesson in humanity, presence, and healing. Their way of practicing wove together rigour and gentleness, discipline and warmth, inspiring not only the mind, but also the heart.

I am equally grateful to Director Huang for trusting me with the opportunity to share my own knowledge and experience with a group of bright young interns. Teaching them became a meaningful reminder that learning is never one-sided. In guiding others, I found myself learning again, with renewed humility, reflection, and joy. That exchange of knowledge, and the passing forward of experience, became a gift for all of us.

This journey was never solely about acupuncture. It was also about humility, connection, and becoming a little wiser, not only as a practitioner, but as a person.

To everyone who guided, supported, and inspired me during this time, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Reference:

1) Nanfang Hospital: 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/625877704656314609/7543424818091866262?hl=en-GB#

A Return to Guangzhou: Clinical Placement and Anatomical Exploration at Nanfang Hospital

Kit Li

Last autumn, I completed my first clinical placement at the Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou. Seven months later, I returned to Guangzhou for my second clinical placement, this time in the Acupuncture Department at Nanfang Hospital (NH) (1).

On my first day at Nanfang Hospital, I was honoured to be given a one-hour tour by Professor Huang, the Head of the Acupuncture Department, before beginning my clinical practice under the supervision of Professor Yang Lu. The tour provided a valuable introduction to the department and offered insight into the hospital's clinical services, teaching facilities, and research activities.

Nanfeng Hospital was founded in 1941 as the Rear Hospital of the Third Division of the New Fourth Army, NH has a long and distinguished history. In 2018, it was selected as a national pilot hospital for multidisciplinary tumour treatment. In 2004, the hospital transitioned from military to provincial management, aligning with its university, formerly the First Military Medical University, now known as Southern Medical University. Today, NH is recognised as one of the leading general hospitals in South China, with a strong emphasis on both medical service and education.

NH directly hosts, manages, and trains more than 2,500 full-time undergraduate students and over 1,000 full-time postgraduate students each year. The university also welcomes approximately 1,000 to 1,200 international students from more than 90 countries. Student accommodation is provided on campus, with over 8,000 students living in shared dormitories, typically with two or three students per room. Academic studies at NH and Southern Medical University focus primarily on medical and clinical disciplines, including Clinical Medicine, Advanced Clinical Technologies, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and postgraduate research fields.

During this trip, I also visited the anatomical museum affiliated with NH, officially known as the Southern Medical University Human Science Museum (2), located on the main university campus. The museum is particularly renowned for its world-class corrosion casting specimens, created by injecting coloured polymers into blood vessels to produce intricate, coral-like three-dimensional displays. One of its most treasured exhibits is a cardiovascular cast created in 1978, recognised as the first successful specimen of its kind in China.

The museum houses more than 2,200 specimens and also features a “Digital Human” dissection table, allowing virtual three-dimensional exploration of human anatomy, alongside a memorial area honouring body donors. Observing the real three-dimensional structures of nerves and blood vessels deepened my understanding of acupuncture points and needle insertion techniques.

As a scalp acupuncturist, I have always been fascinated by the structure of the spinal cord and its relationship with brain function. Exploring the intricate connections between the brain and the gut, and understanding how neurological pathways influence the body, continues to inspire my curiosity. These reflections remind me how extraordinary the human body truly is and how much there is still to discover through both modern medicine and TCM.

References:

1) Nanfang Hospital: https://www.smu.edu.cn/english/info/1026/1068.htm

2) Human Science Museum: 

https://www.smu.edu.cn/english/Campus_Life/Human_Science_Museum.htm

My unexpected Clinical Placement in Guangzhou 2025

Kit Li 

During my first visit to Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Southern Medical University ⁽¹⁾, with the invaluable support and assistance of Vice President Huang, I had the opportunity to engage in learning and discussions with numerous experts and professors.

Over five consecutive days of observation in the Outpatient Department, I had the honour of shadowing Professor Zhou ⁽²⁾, an expert in stroke treatment, to observe diagnosis and treatment processes and discuss the significant of ‘Twelve Meridians Therapy’ for stroke patients. I also learned ‘Pain Management Methods’ from Director, Dr Yang and Dr Wang, and observed the ‘Autohemaotherapy’ ⁽³⁾ and ‘Catgut Embedding’ ⁽⁴⁾ techniques performed by Deputy Director, Dr Chen and Dr Zhan.

At the Rehabilitation Centre, I exchanged insights with Dr Chen and met many diligent second- and third-year students. Subsequently, I visited Head Nurse Professor Ding ⁽⁵⁾, and Director, Dr Song of the Oncology Centre. The traditional Chinese medicine equipment and methods employed there were highly enlightening. 

Thanks to the assistant of Professor Tang and Dr Chen, a meeting with Professor Wang ⁽⁶⁾ was arranged at short notice, allowing me to learn from his ‘Jin’s Three Needle Therapy’ ⁽⁷⁾ acupuncture technique.

My heartfelt thanks go to every mentor and friend who accompanied and cared for me during these five days, I look forward to the possibility of reuniting in the future.

References:

1) Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Southern Medical University: https://www.nfzxy.com/

2) Professor Zhou Guoping, Chief Physician, Professor, Medical Doctor, Doctoral Supervisor, serves as the Director of the Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Rehabilitation Department at the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital of Southern Medical University. He is recognized as a "Lingnan Acupuncture Master" and a "Renowned Doctor of Yangcheng."

3) ‘Autohemaotherapy’ evolved from aquatic acupuncture therapy and was first documented in Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica during the Ming Dynasty.   Also known as Meridian Blood Injection Therapy (i.e., Autologous Blood Acupoint Injection Therapy), this method involves injecting a patient's own venous blood into specific acupoints to achieve therapeutic effects. It primarily intervenes in diseases through immunoregulatory mechanisms. By combining the effects of acupuncture, autologous blood, and acupoint stimulation, it achieves comprehensive efficacy. Notable for its minimal yet precise acupoint selection, reliable outcomes, safety, and simplicity, it is particularly suitable for treating immune system disorders and chronic refractory diseases.

4) 'Catgut Embedding Acupuncture' is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy that uses "threads instead of needles." It involves embedding absorbable catgut or biological protein threads into specific acupoints. Through the continuous stimulation of the acupoints by the threads, a long-term therapeutic effect is achieved. This method can be applied for weight loss, body contouring, chronic pain, gynecological diseases, and more, serving as an extension of traditional acupuncture. This technique is more convenient than traditional acupuncture, as the effects can last for approximately one to two weeks, thereby reducing the frequency of medical visits.

5) Professor Ding Lingying, Head Nurse of the Second Oncology Ward Nursing Unit, Associate Chief Nurse, National Backbone Talent in Traditional Chinese Medicine Nursing Intravenous Therapy Specialist Nurse of Guangdong Province. Specialized in oncology nursing, chemotherapy care, psychological nursing for cancer patients, biotherapy nursing, minimally invasive and photodynamic therapy nursing, PICC catheterization, Sedinger technique, and related nursing care.

6) Professor Wang Shengxu, a native of Hubei Province, holds a Medical Doctorate and serves as a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University. He is a council member of the China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Vice President of the Guangdong Provincial Acupuncture Association. He is primarily engaged in the teaching of acupuncture and clinical research. As a key member of the national-level teaching team for the integrated Chinese and Western medicine internal medicine program, he has contributed to the development of university-level elite courses and promoted the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) teaching methodology.

7) 'Jin's Three-Needle Therapy' is a clinical acupuncture school developed by Professor Jin Rui, characterized by the selection of three sets of acupoints in each treatment session, from which it derives its name. This therapy employs standardized acupoint prescriptions and needling techniques to form an efficient diagnostic and treatment system, applicable for neurological disorders, motor dysfunction, and ENT conditions.