Renowned TCM Culture Scholar Zhang Qicheng Lectures at CityU: On the Great Health Wisdom of Traditional Chinese Culture
The City University of Macau Faculty of Health and Wellness recently invited Professor Zhang Qicheng, dean with the School of Medical Classics Studies at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and a renowned scholar of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) culture and Chinese classics studies, to deliver a CityU Macau’s Master Lecture entitled Decoding the Great Health Code in Traditional Chinese Culture. The lecture examined the development of the great health industry from a global perspective, focusing on Chinese approaches to physical and mental health issues while jointly envisioning the future of the great health sector.
During the lecture, Professor Zhang vividly summarized the fundamental framework of traditional Chinese culture – “with the Yijing (Classic of Changes) as the core and the three teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism) converging in the Yijing” – into “Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, in combination with medicine, arts, martial arts – all these paths lead to the same destination, converging upon the Yijing.” He pointed out that “The Yijing is the wellspring of Chinese culture. Its core principles – change (yi), constancy (bu yi), and simplicity (jian yi) – together with its spiritual essence of yin-yang harmony, hold the key to the millennia-long continuity of Chinese civilization.” Using a distinctive taichi symbol variant, one in which the yin and yang “fish” are depicted with smaller, tapered heads, he interpreted the underlying logic of the four major schools: Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Chinese medicine.
Maintaining a strong connection to the great health theme, he noted that Chinese medicine's health principles of “heaven-human unity, self-other unity, and body-spirit unity” closely align with contemporary holistic health concepts: disease fundamentally stems from yin-yang imbalance, and the core of health preservation lies in harmonizing yin and yang. He shared his original Yidao health preservation exercises, which integrate Yijing principles with Chinese medicine wisdom, achieving relative health by guiding the body back to its original state of yin-yang balance and harmony.
During a live demonstration, Professor Zhang personally taught three sets of preliminary Daoyin movements of the Yidao health exercises. His expansive, agile, circular physical postures drew enthusiastic acclaim. He also presented clinical data and outcomes, sharing practical case studies of his doctoral students who have promoted these exercises. In the interactive session, addressing questions from faculty and students on topics such as Macao's cultural tourism development and holistic cancer treatment, Professor Zhang offered thoughtful responses. He proposed the innovative concept of “great health and wellness tourism” and used vivid metaphors to explain the differences between Chinese and Western medical approaches, emphasizing that patients must enhance their immunity through mental adjustment and lifestyle improvement, thereby extending survival periods and improving quality of life.
Professor Zhang's sharing was vivid and witty, offering profound insights amid a lively atmosphere. Faculty and students alike reported significant gains in both academic knowledge and practical application. The lecture not only constituted a high-level academic exchange platform for CityU faculty and students but also reflected the evolving great health paradigm, marking a shift from a “disease-treatment centered” to a “people-centered” model. It provided valuable insights for the development of the great health industry and cultural integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Source: Faculty of Health and Wellness
