Foreigners Save Classical Chinese Medicine? (Dr Feng’s Story)

3 years ago, Dr Feng Shi Lun (pictured) sat in his Beijing flat in despair, desperately trying to work out how he could pass on his knowledge of an ancient Chinese herbal text the Shan Han Lun.

Already in his 70s, Dr Feng is a humble, gentle man. He has spent his whole life studying this ancient work. He was the disciple of renowned doctor Hu Xi Shu, who, before his death a few years before, had the reputation as the one doctor you went to see when nothing else was working.

Dr Hu passed his knowledge on to Dr Feng, but Dr Feng had nobody to carry on the line, and he was worried that the powerful knowledge that he’d dedicated his life to learning would die out with him.

But then, everything changed…

…and it took a small group of foreigners to do it.

You see, in China the mainstream style of Chinese medicine (called ‘TCM’) rules the roost. It’s the government approved way to do things. If you want to make a name for yourself in the system, you have to work in a TCM hospital, maybe do some TCM research, publish some papers on TCM, that sort of thing.

But Dr Feng took an approach to using Chinese herbs that went back literally thousands of years. The book he has studied his whole life (and which he can quote inside out) is the herbal classic the Shang Han Lun – it’s almost 2000 years old.

It far predates modern, communist-party-approved TCM.

And so, junior doctors could see Dr Feng’s amazing results in clinic, and respected his enormous knowledge, but few wanted to devote themselves to this ancient style of work if it might damage their careers (and salaries!)

As it turned out, Dr Feng found that the survival of his life’s work would largely be through foreigners. Once word got out, he discovered that there was a thirst for this way of working outside of China.

Foreigners aren’t constricted by what the Communist party thinks best.

We just want to learn what will give the best results.

And so, when I first heard about an opportunity to learn from the great man himself, I jumped at the chance, and for the past couple of years I’ve been engaged in a very special apprenticeship learning Dr Feng’s super-effective way of using Chinese herbs.

And once he realised that we were serious, Dr Feng was happy to teach us. He even took to calling us ‘Foreign Zhang Zhong Jing’ (after the author of the book which he had dedicated his life to, the Shang Han Lun)

I’ve met Dr Feng himself twice, most recently at an in-depth internship in Beijing, shadowing him in his own clinics.

It was the experience of a lifetime, and a great privilege to learn directly from such a deeply knowledgeable and generous teacher.

I’ve been able to learn Dr Feng’s approach, and benefit from his 50+ years of experience in treating a huge range of conditions. Here’s just a selection:

• eczema, acne and other skin conditions
• prostatitis, and other men’s health problems
• insomnia
• headache and migraine
• chronic fatigue
• asthma
• infertility (male and female)
• PMS and menstrual problems
• psychological conditions like anxiety, depression and panic attacks
• sexual problems
• IBS and digestive issues
• and lots more!

I’m proud to be a recipient of this very important knowledge.

I’m proud to be a ‘foreign Zhang Zhong Jing’.

And I’m very happy to be able to offer authentic, classical Chinese herbs in my practice.

For me, it’s the final piece of the Chinese Medicine jigsaw…

If you know anyone who might be able to benefit from Chinese herbs, or for more information, just click here: Classical Chinese Herbalism, Bristol And South Wales (UK)