China bound Harare Poly Students visit Zimbabwe-Ch...

China bound Harare Poly Students visit Zimbabwe-China Traditional Chinese Medicine Center

Dr Hu Sha

Zim Now Correspondent

Harare Polytechnic students who are set to study in China recently visited the Zimbabwe-China Traditional Chinese Medicine Center to gain an insight into Chinese culture and the treatment that is attracting hundreds of Zimbabweans from across the country.

The 27 students will travel to Ningbo Polytechnic College in China next month for a year-and-a-half of professional study.

The visit began in the TCM Exhibition Room, where many precious artefacts related to Chinese acupuncture techniques are housed together with classic Chinese medicine books, and other items related to TCM.

Through these exhibits, students gained an appreciation of the long history and profound theoretical system of TCM. For many of them, this was their first exposure to such a systematic representation of Chinese medicine, and the exhibits sparked their strong interest in TCM.

During the visit, I led the students in experiencing Chinese acupuncture firsthand. Acupuncture is a technique that uses needle insertion, moxibustion, or cupping to stimulate specific acupoints in order to regulate the body's qi (energy), blood, and meridians, preventing and treating diseases. Through Dr. Hu’s demonstration and explanation, the students gained a relatively intuitive understanding of acupuncture’s therapeutic principles and practical effects

In addition, in the TCM Emergency Room, I also organized a first aid knowledge training session. The students learned basic first aid skills, including acupuncture for first aid, Chinese medicinal first aid, and CPR. These practical first aid skills undoubtedly added more safety assurance to the students' future life and study, enhancing their awareness and ability to perform self-rescue and assist others in emergencies.

The students said that the visit to the TCM Center had helped them better understand TCM and various first aid techniques. It also provided valuable cultural appreciation and practical experience for their upcoming study journey in China, boosting their confidence for the study and life ahead.

They are eager to gain more knowledge and experience during their study journey in China, further promoting deep cooperation between China and Zimbabwe in education and cultural fields, and deepening the friendship and understanding between the two countries' peoples.

The writer Dr. Hu Sha, deputy captain of the 21st China Medical Team in Zimbabwe and director of the Zimbabwe-China Traditional Chinese Medicine Center, comes from the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine