一枚银针牵起一段跨国情缘
Introduction to the Character
Cheng Yi, female, 31 years old, Malaysian. She is an international graduate of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, where she studied traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), and now works as a teacher at the Kuala Lumpur Academyof Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia.
What She Said
China is the birthplace of TCM. What I learned is not just medical skills, but a culture that has been passed down for thousands of years.
"Today, we are going to get to know licorice." On a July night, a faint fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the classroom of the Kuala Lumpur Academyof Traditional Chinese Medicine. Teacher Cheng Yi held a brown root, about the size of a thumb with a rough surface, in her palm. She motioned for the students to observe the cross-section while neatly cutting the licorice with a knife — a distinct pale yellow was revealed, and fine powder drifted away. "Remember this 'powdery texture' and sweet taste. Its ability lies in harmonizing various medicines, balancing sweetness and bitterness."
On the podium, Cheng Yi's explanations were meticulous. Four years ago, this master's graduate from Hunan University of Chinese Medicine ended her 8-year study journey in China and returned to her hometown. From a TCM clinic practitioner to a professional teacher at a TCM academy, she is determined to use the knowledge she learned in China to help more Malaysian compatriots understand TCM, know themselves better, and establish a healthy lifestyle.
"Thank you, TCM, for making me a shining self." On the other end of WeChat, Cheng Yi's happiness seemed to overflow from the screen. "I am a daughter-in-law from Hunan, and Changsha is my second hometown."
Witnessing Changsha's Development During Study in China
"When I was a child, if I had a slight cold, my father would give me hot and spicy ginger water and do massage for me, explaining the functions of acupoints while doing it..." Cheng Yi's ancestral home is Guangdong. Her great-grandfather's generation immigrated to Malaysia, and she was exposed to TCM from an early age."I was weak when I was young, and my family often used TCM methods to help me relieve discomfort." Recovering without injections, the magical TCM was the "gentlest magic" in young Cheng Yi's heart.
She did not hesitate to choose science in high school. "I knew that this path would bring me closer toTCM." At that time, although there were traditional Chinese medicine colleges in Malaysia, most of them were private. "China is the birthplace of TCM, with profound cultural heritage and a sound education system." Cheng Yi made up her mind, "I must go to China to have a look."
In the summer of 2013, 19-year-old Cheng Yi came to Changsha alone, full of yearning for TCM culture. "When I first arrived at the new campus of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, the supporting facilities around the school were not perfect." During her 8-year study in Changsha, Cheng Yi witnessed the rapid changes of the city. "Now the area around the school is getting more and more lively, and Changsha is becoming more prosperous and vibrant."
"At Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, I received the most authentic and systematic edification in TCM theory. Acupuncture and tuina are my favorite courses." Cheng Yi recalled that following teachers in clinics for internships was the key to transforming book knowledge into practical skills of "looking, listening, asking, and feeling the pulse". From distinguishing diagnoses to prescribing medicines, observing consultations and practicing acupuncture techniques beside teachers, she gained unexpected insights every time. After finishing her studies and returning home, she would always take the initiative to use TCM knowledge to regulate her parents' health. "My mother often has joint pain, and I didn't expect my TCM treatment to work well."
A Pleasant Surprise: The Silver Needle Acts as a Matchmaker, Making Cheng Yi a Hunan Daughter-in-Law
Her studies in China were full of gains. What surprised her even more was a cross-border relationship brought about by TCM.
In her junior year, Cheng Yi, as an international student, signed up for the National Acupuncture and Tuina Competition. The teacher arranged for her to "join" the Acupuncture and Tuina Association and practice acupuncture and tuina techniques systematically with other students. "Classmate, can I practice acupuncture on you?" During the preparation for the competition, she needed to find a relatively fixed practice partner for acupuncture. Cheng Yi politely asked a boy next to her, and unexpectedly, he readily agreed.
"At that time, my techniques were rusty，and I was a bit 'heavy-handed', but he had no complaints at all and supported my competition very much." This boy named Liu Jing from western Hunan gradually walked into Cheng Yi's heart and became her lover to walk hand in hand with.
In 2021, after graduating with a master's degree, Cheng Yi returned to Malaysia, while Liu Jing, as a targeted training student, went back to his hometown to work as a grassroots doctor in village in western Hunan. "Although we are separated by distance, we contact each other every day. When I encounter problems at work, he will also give me advice." Cheng Yi said that TCM is like a red thread that has always closely linked them together.
In 2023, the two ended their 7-year long-distance love and obtained marriage certificates in China and Malaysia, becoming a cross-border couple in the medical field.
TCM Going Global, Gaining Many "TCM Fans" in Malaysia
"TCM emphasizes regulation and health preservation, which is closely related to life." Nowadays, Cheng Yi has a deeper understanding of TCM: what she learned in Changsha in eight years is not only medical skills, but also a culture inherited for thousands of years.
After returning to Malaysia, Cheng Yi has been promoting TCM, and spreading TCM culture has become her mission. Whether in clinical practice or teaching at the Kuala Lumpur Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, she has been using her professionalism to help more Malaysian people understand, know and believe in TCM.
"I remember once, a man in his 30s came to me, saying that he had been feeling unwell recently, but no problems were found in the examination." During the consultation, Cheng Yi learned that he was an IT practitioner, usually under great work pressure, and liked to go swimming in the morning for exercise. "You have a cold and stagnant constitution, and your stomach and intestines are not good. Swimming in the morning will aggravate the accumulation of cold and dampness, making you feel bad. It might be more suitable for you to do yoga at home instead." During the consultation, Cheng Yi taught the man how to judge his physical condition from his tongue coating and suggested that he develop the habit of soaking his feet before going to bed. Half a year later, the man came for a follow-up visit, and his physical indicators had improved significantly.
"Malaysia is located near the equator, with a tropical rainforest climate and a cold diet, which can easily lead to distinct constitutions of damp-heat or cold-dampness among local people. Therefore, treatment must be tailored to the individual." When facing patients, Cheng Yi is happy to popularize common knowledge of TCM, teaching them TCM basicssuch as observe tongue signs and distinguish constitutions,to help them better understand their physical conditionsand develop healthy living habits.
There was once a girl who reported to herthat her sleepwalking symptoms had alleviated after two weeks of TCM conditioning. "Although I didn't know she had sleepwalking symptoms at first, she has a damp-heat and yin-deficient constitution, which may have affected her sleep." After a period of TCM herbal regulation, the girl's sleepwalking symptoms were significantly relieved, and her family thought highly of TCM.
"The curative effect of TCM is the fundamental reason for people's recognition of it." At present, Cheng Yi teaches undergraduate basic theories of TCM and specialized TCM at the Kuala Lumpur Academyof Traditional Chinese Medicine, and many of her students are office workers.
"Compared with when I went to study in China, the acceptance of TCM among Malaysian people has significantly improved." What makes Cheng Yi pleased is that with the Malaysian government's standardization of TCM practitioner certification, the team of certified practitioners has grown, and TCM clinics have sprung up like mushrooms. "Many of my students have chosen TCM as their second career and take further studies in the evening."
Looking forward to the future, Cheng Yi and her husband are full of longing: "After my husband completes his grassroots service term, maybe we will open a TCM clinic in Kuala Lumpur and work together in this career we love."
A silver needle not only links Cheng Yi's love and career, but also turns into a bond connecting Chinese and Malaysian cultures in her hands. From the bank of the Xiangjiang River to the country on the equator, this former international student who studied TCM in China is sowing the authentic wisdom of TCM on her hometown's land and cultivating a new generation of local TCM talents.
