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The Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) in Canada, dedicated to academic exchanges in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), held the 11th Canadian Tzu Chi International TCM Symposium on the morning of August 14, 2025. This cross-border, interdisciplinary exchange brought together approximately 93 participants from countries including Austria, Vietnam, Syria, India, China, the United States, and Taiwan.
Pre-Symposium Classes Enhance the Experience
Before the symposium began, Dr. I-Hsing Chuang, a neurology specialist from Austria, led a course titled “Chuang’s Scalp Acupuncture (CSA) — The Lapis Lazuli Light-Bearing Project” at the Tzu Chi Canada branch from July 18 to August 24. The curriculum included 72 hours of theoretical instruction paired with 18 clinical case studies and hands-on corrections of acupoint techniques. This progressive program, which balanced theory with practice, aimed to enroll 18 students. The hope is that this first group of CSA successors will take on the mission of teaching and continue to pass on the knowledge.
To facilitate deeper exchange and learning, Dr. Jung-Peng Chiu, Deputy Superintendent of the Taipei City Hospital Linsen Kunming Chinese Medicine Branch, and his two assistant physicians, held a special pre-symposium workshop on “Lin’s Structural Therapy” on August 12 and 13. They provided live demonstrations, giving instructors and participants a chance to engage in discussion.
A key highlight was the presentation by Dr. I-Hsing Chuang and his wife, Hedi Chuang-Quehenberger, on “A New Treatment Protocol Combining Chuang’s Scalp Acupuncture with Concepts of Holistic Medicine.” They shared their teaching and guidance on a scalp acupuncture treatment developed from their combined experience in both Chinese and Western medicine.
A Fruitful Clinical Exchange
Dr. Ya-Chun Hsieh presented “Reflections on Taiwan’s Clinical Mentorship System and Case Studies,” sharing her clinical experience in treating lower back pain. Drawing from her one-year clinical internship, Dr. Hsieh compared various diagnostic and treatment methods from both TCM and Western medicine, as well as the approaches of different physicians, and offered insights into future treatment modalities.
Dr. Jung-Peng Chiu spoke on the application and diagnosis of TCM in the field of traumatology. He introduced the resources and support provided by Taiwan’s clinical mentorship system and the training requirements for physicians, offering an excellent benchmark for the students’ current learning and growth.
Professor Hao-Ping Chen, Director of the Chinese Medicine Innovation Research and Development Center at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, presented “Research on the Mechanism and Efficacy of the TCM Formula Gui Lu Er Xian Jiao.” By integrating modern technology and using data from Western medical labs to prove the effects of the compound formula, his work is of great significance for the promotion of Chinese herbal medicine.
Mutual Growth Through Shared Experience
Dr. Cheng-Che Chung, convener of TIMA Canada, noted that this was the eleventh year the TCM forum has been held in Vancouver. It annually attracts many practicing TCM professionals, as well as students from the Tzu Chi International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Canada and the School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine at Tzu Chi University in Taiwan.
As a TCM beginner, Jian-Min Helen Shi, a student at the Tzu Chi International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was grateful for the opportunity to attend. She thanked Dr. Chiu for his selfless sharing and for explaining in detail the problems he encountered during his own learning process. With the patient guidance of Dr. Chiu and his two assistant physicians, who corrected every movement and detail, she felt confident. “Although mastering it will require a great deal of practice and long-term experience,” Shi said, “with such a wonderful teacher guiding me, I am confident I can learn the entire ‘Structural Therapy’ and apply it in my future clinical work to achieve much better results.”
Another student, Thomas Yu, expressed his admiration for Dr. I-Hsing Chuang and his wife’s dedication to the art of acupuncture. He was grateful for the chance to learn directly from the founder of scalp acupuncture. “As a therapy, it connects the Western nervous system with the TCM meridian system, allowing patients to clearly and intuitively understand how acupuncture works. It’s fast, precise, and delivers immediate results, which convinces patients of its effectiveness.”
Chien-Shan Lee, a student from Tzu Chi University, was delighted to be in Canada for the TCM course and symposium. She mentioned that in Taiwan, aside from schoolwork, there are few opportunities to attend related off-campus courses. She was grateful that her first such experience was abroad, calling it a precious and rare opportunity. Dr. Jung-Peng Chiu’s clear and easy-to-understand explanations sparked her strong interest in the technique. With such a high-quality teacher to guide her first steps, she hopes to continue practicing and studying “Lin’s Structural Therapy” to help more people in the future.
Danie Wang shared, “I was fortunate to receive guidance from Dr. Chiu on his traumatology techniques. The small-group teaching format made it easier to understand the operational details of the methods.” She added, “The introduction to Chuang’s Scalp Acupuncture, the demonstration of Taiwanese TCM physician training, and the lecture on the mechanism of Gui Lu Er Xian Jiao were also of great help to us.”
“‘Chuang’s Scalp Acupuncture’ can add to our future treatment strategies, the ‘educational demonstration’ showed us how attending physicians approach patient diagnosis and treatment, and the ‘mechanism of Chinese herbal medicine’ helps us better understand the therapeutic effects of these herbs, which is beneficial for promoting TCM.” Wang was very grateful to TIMA Canada for this opportunity and for learning about the development of TCM in non-Chinese-speaking countries.
Dr. Chia-Hung Wei, Director of the Tzu Chi TCM Clinic in Vancouver, remarked, “‘Lin’s Structural Therapy’ is very gentle and can be used effectively on patients who are afraid of needles. It helps adjust their balance and is also very effective for the recovery of injured areas.”
Offering praise is a form of self-encouragement. We are grateful to the presenters for their professionalism and dedication, condensing years of TCM knowledge and skills to share with us. Driven by a thirst for knowledge, the participants below the stage diligently worked to improve their skills, advancing through continuous learning. We thank everyone for selflessly sharing their experience in the hope of benefiting more people and relieving them from the suffering of illness.
