Nanjing Secrets: Chinese People Spark Craze for "Crocodile Crawl" and "Hugging Trees," with Traditional Health Practices Gaining Popularity Again
Author: Dmitri Kapustin
China is experiencing a longevity craze. In order to prolong healthy life, people are once again focusing on traditional medicine, and a large number of peculiar exercise video courses based on qigong and tai chi have emerged online.
One of the most eye-catching scenes is that dozens or even hundreds of people line up on park trails, imitating crocodile crawling. Advocates claim that this "crocodile crawl" can relieve spinal pressure and alleviate intervertebral disc discomfort caused by aging. However, doctors warn that those with old injuries in the shoulders, neck, or legs, as well as patients with diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, should proceed with caution when attempting this practice.
Participants in these peculiar exercises are mostly people in their fifties and sixties, wearing uniforms and chanting rhythmic slogans in unison. Many who witness the energetic figures of the "crocodile crawling group" marvel at the synchronized movements and impressive speed of these elderly participants.
Another trend is "tree-hugging health preservation." Practitioners believe that hugging trees helps promote blood circulation and stimulate the flow of "qi" in meridians. If you find this confusing, listen to the explanation from traditional medicine:
In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the human body is crisscrossed by a "meridian" network through which life energy "qi" circulates. This is not superstition; modern scientific research has confirmed that the biological tissue resistance of meridians (and their intersecting acupuncture points) is lower than that of surrounding areas.
Kim Bong-Han, one of the greatest Asian biologists of the 20th century, proved that there exists an unknown organ system in the human body—the "primo vascular system" (with diameters less than 30 micrometers, penetrating all internal organs), where stem cells are transported through it.
Professor Kim Bong-Han believed that many stem cells originate from the chromosomes of aging cells, and the primo vascular system can achieve "recombinant DNA recycling" without cell division.
His works were published in Korean, Russian, and English in 1966 but went unnoticed. It wasn't until 2012 that another researcher, Vitaly Vodjanov, introduced the discoveries of this North Korean scientist to the scientific community.
This discovery was a revolution in medical cognition, leaving Western medicine in the dust. The ancient Chinese inventors of acupuncture had a far superior understanding of human anatomy compared to scientists of the 21st century with electron microscopes.
Take, for example, the "Sanyinjiao" acupoint below the knee. Traditional medicine believes it is related to the pancreas, liver, and kidneys. Modern research has found that stimulating this acupoint may guide stem cells to the pancreas, promoting organ repair and regeneration.
Today, many institutions in the West are dedicated to integrating Eastern and Western medicine—research on the primo vascular system as an inexhaustible source of stem cells could lead to breakthroughs in pain relief, developmental biology, tissue regeneration, and even cancer treatment.
In today's China, more people are simply drawing on their belief in meridians by "hugging trees" to absorb the "life energy" of trees. This simple action can bring relaxation, helping to relieve anxiety and stress, and despite lacking scientific evidence, it remains widely popular.
There are also more "curious" forms of exercise among the elderly, such as "tree suspension health preservation"—people use specially designed shoulder straps to hang themselves from trees, claiming it can relieve cervical problems. However, doctors warn that such actions require extreme caution as they may cause muscle, nerve, or spinal cord injuries.
The mildest form of health preservation method is walking barefoot on pebble paths in parks. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, this ancient practice can improve blood circulation, relieve insomnia, neurasthenia, and digestive disorders, and naturally, it is also considered a way to prolong life.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513829399884530188/
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