Chinese medicine: from rural hospitals to top three hospitals in Kyoto

Time flies, and the day of the semi-finals of the "Yangshen Cup" Apricot Competition has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Five thousand elite TCM practitioners who passed the preliminary rounds across the country were assigned to ten competition zones.

As one of the ten sub-competition areas, Hanping City in Yunzhou Province brought together 500 finalists from several surrounding provinces to compete for 20 coveted spots to go to Kyoto for the finals.

The semi-final venue in Hanping City is located in the gymnasium of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is spacious and well-equipped.

To ensure fairness and impartiality, the competition organizing committee sent a judging panel composed of Xun Jiahong and Lin Yi from Kyoto to jointly judge the competition with renowned local experts such as Sun Zhiren and Chen Yaohui from Yunzhou.

Yunzhou Province and Haizhou Province were assigned to the same district this time, so Chen Yaohui was also one of the judges for Haizhou District.

Following the controversy surrounding the Yunzhou preliminary round, the organization of the entire Hanping competition area was exceptionally rigorous and transparent. The identity information and preliminary scores of all participants were repeatedly verified, and the examination process and scoring criteria were completely made public.

Zhuang Qiwen and Luo Junchao arrived at the stadium early.

"Qiwen, judging from this setup, it's much more professional than the preliminary rounds," Luo Junchao remarked, looking at the strict security checks at the entrance and the surveillance cameras everywhere.

"After what happened last time, the higher-ups must have strengthened their oversight." Zhuang Qiwen's tone was calm, but his eyes gleamed with determination.

Chen Yang gave him a second chance, and he absolutely could not let him down.

"I heard that the judges from Kyoto today are Director Xun Jiahong and Director Lin Yi, both of whom are outstanding young talents."

Luo Junchao said excitedly, "It would be even better if Director Chen could come."

“Director Chen is very busy, it’s already very kind of him to stand up for us.” Zhuang Qiwen straightened his clothes: “Let’s go in.”

Upon entering the competition venue, the enormous stadium was divided into several functional areas, including a written examination area, a pulse diagnosis and treatment area, and a prescription and acupuncture practice area. Five hundred participants took their seats according to their assigned numbers, creating a solemn yet tense atmosphere.

Xun Jiahong, representing the Kyoto judging panel, gave a brief speech on stage, emphasizing the rules and principles of fairness in the semi-finals. He didn't say much, but he exuded an air of authority that invigorated the audience.

In front of Chen Yang, Xun Jiahong is an apprentice, but in front of others, Xun Jiahong was once the chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Kyoto Hospital, and is now the chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Kyoto International Medical Center.

When a chief physician from Kyoto Hospital goes to a local area, he is quite authoritative. Moreover, the status of Kyoto International Medical Center is rising, and its influence is even greater than that of Kyoto Hospital.

The semi-finals were far more complex and in-depth than the preliminary rounds.

The morning session consisted of a written theoretical exam and a case analysis test. The difficulty of the questions increased significantly, testing not only the understanding of classic texts but also the flexible application of clinical thinking and the ability to analyze difficult and complex cases.

Zhuang Qiwen responded calmly and fluently. Although these questions were challenging for him, given his rich practical experience and solid theoretical foundation, he always managed to pinpoint the crux of the matter and provide convincing answers.

Xun Jiahong noticed that one of the case analyses about a "strange disease" had peculiar symptoms and involved a deep connection between emotions and internal organs. He combined this with a similar case he had encountered and conducted a detailed analysis.

Meanwhile, in the remote Jinjiang City division of Shanxi Province, Li Haofei and Liu Xi were also nervously answering questions. As Chen Yang's disciples, they performed steadily and had broad thinking, drawing frequent nods of approval from the judges of the Shanxi division.

.......

The afternoon session consisted of a practical skills assessment, which was the real test of one's true abilities and knowledge.

The practical assessment consists of two parts: the first is "pulse diagnosis and syndrome differentiation," where judges simulate patients or provide information such as pulse and tongue coating of real patients, requiring participants to accurately determine the pathogenesis and syndrome type; the second is "prescription and acupuncture," where participants propose treatment plans for specific cases and may need to perform actual acupuncture procedures.

Zhuang Qiwen drew a real volunteer during the "pulse diagnosis and diagnosis" segment.

This was a middle-aged woman who complained of irritability, insomnia, bitter taste in her mouth, dry throat, and chest and rib pain. Zhuang Qiwen calmed himself, placed three fingers on the patient's wrist, and carefully examined her pulse—it was wiry, thin, and rapid. He then examined her tongue, which was red with little coating. Upon further inquiry, he learned that the patient had been experiencing emotional distress due to recent family troubles.

"This is a case of liver stagnation transforming into fire, and disharmony between the heart and kidneys."

Zhuang Qiwen pondered for a moment before slowly stating his diagnosis: "Liver qi stagnation, over time transforms into fire, which disturbs the mind and causes insomnia; the fire scorches the body fluids, hence the bitter taste in the mouth and dry throat; the liver meridian runs through the hypochondrium, and the obstruction of qi flow causes chest and hypochondriac distension and pain. A wiry pulse indicates liver stagnation, while a thin and rapid pulse indicates yin deficiency with heat."

His analysis was clear, logical, and highly consistent with the patient's actual condition. Sun Zhiren and Chen Yaohui, who were in charge of the assessment, exchanged a glance, both seeing admiration in each other's eyes.

When it came to the prescription, Zhuang Qiwen pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote down the prescription: Danzhi Xiaoyao San combined with Jiaotai Wan, with modifications. He used peony bark and gardenia to clear liver fire, bupleurum and white peony root to soothe and soften the liver, coptis and cinnamon to harmonize the heart and kidneys, and poria and polygala to calm the mind and soothe the nerves.

"Wonderful!"

Chen Yaohui couldn't help but whisper to Sun Zhiren, "This prescription uses both clearing and dredging methods, treating both the heart and liver. It also takes into account the patient's emotional factors by adding calming ingredients. The combination is appropriate and the dosage is safe. It is truly the work of a master."

Sun Zhiren stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded. Zhuang Qiwen's performance was within his expectations. After the turmoil of the preliminary round, this rough gem was finally beginning to shine.

In the acupuncture operation area, another highly anticipated figure, Yu Shiyun, also faced her challenge.

After receiving clear instructions from Chen Yang, Haizhou Province decisively reinstated Yu Shiyun's qualification for the semi-finals. This time, Yu Shiyun and Zhuang Qiwen were in the same competition venue.

At this moment, Yu Shiyun is facing an elderly patient suffering from "frozen shoulder," also known as adhesive capsulitis, who requests on-site acupuncture treatment.

Although Yu Shiyun was a little nervous, her eyes immediately became focused and steady once she picked up the silver needles. She skillfully disinfected the needles and selected acupoints mainly at Jianyu, Jianliao, Jianzhen, and Ashi points, supplemented by Tiaokou penetrating Chengshan.

Yu Shiyun's needle insertion technique is light and precise, penetrating the skin without pain. She uses the reducing method during needling, with moderate stimulation, and combines it with gentle moxibustion. While performing the procedure, she gently inquires about the patient's feelings.

"Hey, it's warm now, my arm feels a bit better!" The old man exclaimed with delight as he moved his shoulders.

Xun Jiahong and Lin Yi observed carefully from the side.

Yu Shiyun's acupoint selection and techniques demonstrate a solid foundation in family medical knowledge and rich practical experience, making her seem completely unlike someone without formal education or medical qualifications.

"His technique is skillful, his acupoints are precisely selected, and his Qi reaches the affected area."

Lin Yi commented in a low voice, "It seems that Director Chen's decision to make an exception and let her participate in the competition was the right one."

Xun Jiahong also agreed: "There are indeed hidden gems among the people, and that's the significance of the competition."

Yu Shiyun successfully completed the task, and the judges gave her a high score.

Yu Shiyun also breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and showed a relieved and hopeful smile on her face.