一枚银针牵起一段跨国情缘

Editor’s Note:

编者按

As summer ushers in another graduation season, a new group of international students sets off for the world after completing their studies at Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. Over the past five years, more than 1,000 international students have graduated from this institution. Every year in Hunan, overseas students from diverse backgrounds and with different languages gather here to dedicate themselves to the study of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). In Beijing, the “2025 International Symposium on the Inheritance and Global Advancement of TCM” together with the Global Outreach Initiative of TCM Culture was recently launched. It represents not only the global outreach of medical expertise, but also a dialogue between civilizations and a bond between peoples across mountains and seas.

炎夏毕业季，又一批留学生从湖南中医药大学走向世界。近五年间，逾千名留学生在这里学有所成；在湖南，每年都有肤色各异、语言不同的留学生同心奔赴，精修杏林之术；在北京，“2025中医国际传承发展研讨会”暨中医文化出海传播计划新近启动，这不仅是一次医学技艺的远行，更是一场跨越山海的文明对话与民心交融。

Traditional Chinese medicine, embodying thousands of years of wisdom, is gaining global appeal with its unique charm, providing valuable health solutions for people worldwide. Starting today, Changsha Evening News launches the special series “I Study TCM in China", featuring international friends who traveled afar to explore the roots and wisdom of TCM. Through their real-life stories, we witness how traditional Chinese medicine has evolved from "going global" to truly "taking root globally", breaking cultural barriers and thriving in every corner of the world.

凝聚着数千年智慧的中医，正以独特魅力走向海外，为全球民众提供宝贵的健康方案。今日起，长沙晚报推出“我在中国学中医”系列报道，聚焦这些远道而来、探寻中医根脉与智慧的国际友人。通过他们的真实故事，见证中医如何从“走出去”到真正“走进去”，跨越文化藩篱，在世界各地落地生根、焕发生机。

Introduction to the Character

【人物介绍】

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.

承意，女，31岁，马来西亚人。湖南中医药大学中医留学毕业生，现为马来西亚吉隆坡中医学院教师。

What She Said

【她说】

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.

中国是中医的发源地，我学习的不仅仅是医术，更是一种传承了数千年的文化。

"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."

“今天，我们来认识甘草。”7月的一个夜晚，吉隆坡中医学院教室里弥漫着淡淡的药香。教师承意将一块拇指大小、表皮粗糙的褐色根块托在掌心。她一边示意学生观察断面，一边用小刀利落地切开甘草——鲜明的淡黄色显露出来，细小的粉质随之飘散。“记住这‘粉性’和甘甜之味。调和百药，甘苦相济是它的本事。”

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.

讲台上，承意讲解细致入微。4年前，这位湖南中医药大学的硕士毕业生，结束了8年的中国求学之旅回到家乡。从中医馆中医师到中医学院专业教师，她立志用在中国学到的知识，帮助更多马来西亚同胞认识中医、了解自身，建立健康的生活方式。

"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."

“感谢中医，让我成为那个发光的自己。”微信那头，承意的幸福快要溢出屏幕，“我是一名湖南媳妇，长沙是我的第二故乡。”

Witnessing Changsha's Development During Study in China

中国求学 见证长沙发展变化

"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.

“小时候，有点小感冒，爸爸就会给我喝热辣的生姜水，还会给我做推拿，边做还边讲解穴位的作用……”承意祖籍广东，曾祖父一代移民马来西亚，她从小对中医耳濡目染，“小时候体弱，家人常用中医方法帮我缓解。”不打针就能康复，神奇的中医是幼年承意心中“最温柔的魔术”。

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."

高中毫不犹豫选了理科，“我知道，这条路能让我离中医更近”。当时马来西亚虽有中医学院，但多为民办。“中国是中医的发源地，有着深厚的文化底蕴和完善的教育体系。”承意下定决心，“一定要去中国看看。”

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."

2013年的夏天，19岁的承意带着对中医文化的向往，只身来到长沙。“初到湖南中医药大学新校区，学校周边配套还不完善。”在长沙求学的八年，承意见证了长沙日新月异的变化。“现在学校周边越来越热闹，长沙也越来越繁华，充满活力。”

"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."

“在湖南中医药大学，我接受了最地道、最系统的中医理论熏陶，针灸和推拿是我最喜欢的课程。”承意回忆，跟诊实习是将书本知识转化为“望闻问切”实战的关键。从辨别诊断到遣方用药，在老师身边观摩问诊、练习针法，每次都有意外收获。学成归家，她总会主动地用中医知识为父母调理：“我的母亲经常关节疼痛，没想到我的中医疗效还不错。”

A Pleasant Surprise: The Silver Needle Acts as a Matchmaker, Making Cheng Yi a Hunan Daughter-in-Law

收获惊喜 银针当红娘成湖南媳妇

Her studies in China were full of gains. What surprised her even more was a cross-border relationship brought about by TCM.

在中国的学习，收获满满。更让她惊喜的是一段由中医牵起的跨国缘分。

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.

大三那年，承意以留学生身份报名参加全国针灸推拿比赛。老师安排她“插班”加入针灸推拿协会社团，和其他同学一起系统地练习针灸推拿手法。“同学，能让我扎你吗？”备赛阶段，需要找到相对固定的针灸练习对象，承意礼貌地问向旁边一名男生，没想到对方爽快应允。

"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.

“那时手法生疏，我下手有点‘狠’，但他完全没有怨言，非常支持我的比赛。”这位叫刘竟的湘西学弟，慢慢走进了承意的心里，成为她携手相伴的恋人。

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.

2021年，承意硕士毕业后回到马来西亚，而作为定向培养生的刘竟，则回到家乡成为一名扎根湘西山村的基层医生。“虽然分隔两地，但我们每天都会联系，工作中遇到问题，他也会给我出主意。”承意说，中医就像一根红线，始终将他们紧密地联系在一起。

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.

2023年，两人结束7年爱情长跑，在中国和马来西亚领取了结婚证，成为一对跨国杏林佳偶。

TCM Going Global, Gaining Many "TCM Fans" in Malaysia

中医出海 在马收获大量“中医粉”

"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.

“中医讲究调理养生，与生活息息相关。”如今，承意对中医的理解更深：在长沙八年习得的不只是医术，更是一种传承了数千年的文化。

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.

回到马来西亚，承意一直在推行中医的路上前行，传播中医文化成为她的使命。无论是坐诊还是执教于吉隆坡中医学院，她都用自己的专业，致力于让更多的马来西亚民众认识中医、了解中医、相信中医。

"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.

“记得有一次，一名30来岁的男子找到我，说最近总感觉身体状况不好，做检查却看不出毛病。”承意在问诊中得知他是一名IT从业者，平时工作压力大，喜欢早晨游泳锻炼。“你是寒瘀体质，肠胃不好，早上游泳会加重寒湿淤积，感觉身体很沉，不妨改成在家做瑜伽更合适。”接诊中，承意教这名男子如何从舌苔看身体状况，还建议他养成睡前泡脚的习惯。半年之后这名男子来复诊，身体各项指标明显改善。

"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.

“马来西亚地处赤道附近，热带雨林气候和寒凉的饮食习惯，容易让当地人形成湿热或寒湿截然不同的体质，需要因人而异对症下药。”面对前来问诊的患者，承意乐于普及中医常识，教他们观舌象、辨别体质这些中医常识，以便更清楚自己的身体状况，养成健康的生活习惯。

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.

曾有一名女孩，经过两周的中药调理，向承意反馈梦游症状减轻。“虽然一开始我并不知道她有梦游症状，但她属于湿热阴虚体质，可能对她的睡眠造成一定影响。”经过一段时间的中药调理，女孩的梦游症状明显减轻，她的家人更是对中医刮目相看。

"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.

“中医的疗效是大家对它认可的根本原因。”目前，承意在吉隆坡中医学院教授本科中医基础理论以及专科中医学，她的学生不少是上班族。

"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."

“比起我自己当年赴华求学，如今的马来西亚民众对中医的接纳程度明显提升。”让承意欣慰的是，随着马来西亚政府在中医师认证方面的规范，如今持证队伍壮大，中医馆也如雨后春笋般涌现。“我的学生中就有许多人将中医作为第二职业的选择，利用晚间进修。”

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."

展望未来，承意夫妇满怀憧憬：“待先生完成基层服务期，或许我们会在吉隆坡开一家中医诊所，携手耕耘这份热爱的事业。”

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.

一枚银针，不仅串起了承意的爱情与事业，更在她手中化作连接中马文化的纽带。从湘江之滨到赤道之国，这位曾在中国学中医的留学生，正将原汁原味的中医智慧播撒在家乡的土地上，培养着新一代本土中医人才。