Greeks seek to enhance acupuncture skills
A student from the University of West Attica in Greece asks a question during her acupuncture training class in Shanghai.
Twenty-seven students from the University of West Attica in Greece took an acupuncture training program at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Aug 20 to 24.
As some of the students were experienced physical therapists who have been engaged in acupuncture treatment for years, the program gave them specialty training on the prevention of certain diseases and the clinical application of acupuncture.
They also visited the school's Qigong Museum and attempted to cultivate their vital life force through breathing techniques, postures, meditations and guided imagery.
Qi in Chinese means "breath" or "air" and is considered the vital life force of human beings. Gong means "work" or "effort" and is the commitment an individual puts into any practice or skill that is perfected through time, patience and repetition.
The program was a follow-up activity since the two schools had agreed to co-establish a health center in Greece earlier this March for cultivating and training professionals in traditional Chinese medicine.
The university is committed to promoting traditional Chinese medicine all over the world. The bond it has formed with the Greek school will aid integration between the two cultures and benefit local residents.
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine contributed to this story.
An acupuncture therapist explains a technique to Greek students.
Lin Xun, dean of the International Education College at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, talks with the Greek students.