Norma Lahaine
psychotherapy
203 231 4723

Whatever stereotypes I had of China as poor, or trapped in a time warp, were quickly dispelled during a two-week visit in May. I knew from the guidebooks that Hong Kong would be a fast-paced, modern city with elegant hotels, trendy shops, and million-dollar homes, but I was not prepared for what I saw on the mainland.
China is definitely striding toward becoming a superpower with which to be reckoned. The energy and industry of her people are electrifying.
Shenzhen is a good example. It was farmland just twenty years ago. Today it is a thriving metropolis with skyscrapers of glass and steel. If I didn’t know better, I might think I was in Manhattan. But this was a new Chinese city and I was here on a two-week visit with Ming Wu, a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and healer who practices in China, West Hartford and other New England locations; Geren Simmons, a healer, certified acupressurist from Bermuda; and Phil Crosby, an engineer, retired from General Electric.
Ming served as our guide and host, and right from the start, he was fun, efficient, generous. It was clear he wanted this to be a memorable trip for all of us.
One day we visited an island of 500 acres owned by a friend of Ming’s. Having created the microchip for cell phones, he went from a poor boy to a millionaire. His “farm” was a step back in time – peaceful, with no sign of the 21st century except for the SUV that picked us up.
Free range took on its true meaning as we watched the cook catch two chickens, kill them, and use them in our soup. The broiled fish had just that morning been swimming in the lake.
We did our Chi Gong exercises and great peace descended on us all. We rafted across the lake using a pulley system. Later we went to another friend’s restaurant where you ordered food according to whether you were Yin or Yang. We were all Yang and so ordered cooling foods for the liver – vegetables and bitter melon, to balance the chicken, fish, and meat.

We spent several days at a resort on Sanya. I swam in the South China Sea and collected shells on the beach. Looking at the luxury hotel and palm trees, I thought “Caribbean,” but where in the Caribbean would I find anything like the Statues of Quan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion, poised at the edge of the sea in Nanshan, 40 miles west of Sanya? The three statues, each facing different directions, form a monument 108 meters high, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and part of several cultural theme parks where Buddhist temples stand amid a background of European and Japanese gardens. We lit our four-foot incense sticks and prayed for peace, a long productive life, prosperity, health, and a life partner.
Our small group attracted considerable attention: We were all tall. Garen, brown-skinned and at 6’4” the tallest among us, drew curious but friendly glances. We traveled in air-conditioned vans on newly constructed freeways. Almost everyone we saw had a cell phone. The food at all the restaurants was sumptuous, a far cry from our Western version. The shrimp were the biggest I’ve ever seen. All manner of fish swam in aquarium-type holding tanks, waiting to become a delicious meal. The abundant vegetables, some of which I didn’t recognize, were fresh. There was whole broiled fish, chicken and dumplings, and about 20 more dishes for the breakfast buffet at our five-star hotels. For dessert, we ate “Dragon eyes,” lychee fruit, fresh pineapple and watermelon.
Liao Yi, Ming’s assistant at his office in China, was a gracious and helpful presence. She spoke English, taught me some Chinese, and took us to Wal-Mart! People appreciated our attempts to speak their language.
We went to a village where we were entertained by traditional dancers and musicians , firewalkers and fire-eaters. Best of all, I married a young Chinese man in a mock wedding ceremony. We drank wine. I carried him on my back to the bridal chamber. We all laughed a lot. We climbed to the top of a mountain where we saw wild men and wild women who did not speak any Chinese and ate only raw foods. The women were delighted with Garin, lifting his shirt to examine him carefully, and insisting he lift them aloft, which he did, one under each arm
On a more sober note, we visited Chaozhow TCM Hospital, a hospital where herbal medicine, acupuncture, tui-na and physical therapy are taught & practice. At an outpatient clinic, patients were receiving tui-na & acupuncture. The needles were attached to electrodes.
We met with the administrative director of the hospital as well as the medical director, who explained how diagnoses are made. For a herniated disc, for example, the doctor locates the problem. If a pinkie is numb, the problem is probably in the C7 and C8 discs. Then the doctor feels it. With Western techniques like X-ray and MRI, the diagnosis is tested. Then comes a 10-technique protocol, which may include orthopedic tui-na. Surgery will be performed for only 4 percent of back problems. We asked the medical director a number of questions. We were especially interested in the cancer rate, since smoking is so pervasive in China. He told us they have more sinus cancer. In his view, cancer is an internal problem having to do with energy blockages, either from emotional or spiritual problems.
We also had a two-day workshop in which we practiced tui-na, (acupressure) and massage.
The massages we got in the cities we visited were unforgettable. They lasted three hours, included foot reflexology and Chinese massage, and cost $20. Everywhere we went, from the hospital to modest shops, we were feted with the Chinese tea ceremony. In China, drinking tea and purchasing the accoutrements is a serious undertaking and can be expensive. Some teas cost as much as $2,000 a pound. I love my spring tea, each leaf curled into a tight ball. The ritual includes allowing the aroma of the tea to penetrate the pleasure centers of the brain, much like wine tasting. I enact this ritual in my home each day.

Norma Lahainer is a freelance author and psychotherapist practicing in Connecticut. For more information about upcoming trips to China with Dr. Ming Wu please call 1-800-990-9332 or visit www.wuhealing.com.

*According to Dr. Ming Wu, “the ‘ wild men ’ and ‘wild women’ referred to in this article are not of Chinese culture, do not speak Chinese or have a Chinese ID. They do not cook food, but eat tree leaves and live in and among the trees, and never leave their mountain. They speak their own dialect, not understood by outsiders, and are very cautious about visitors who must first demonstrate their friendship. Amazingly, they instantly greeted Garen from our group as if he was an old friend, and the women even began kissing him, though kissing is not part of Chinese culture. They begged him to stay and live with them.”