The 2nd World Health Conference of Acupuncture and Moxibustion was held in Quzhou, east China's Zhejiang province on Nov. 1, ahead of the eighth anniversary for the practices of acupuncture and moxibustion making the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The event brought together around 300 participants from around the world. Chinese and overseas practitioners, researchers and academics of all disciplines related to acupuncture and moxibustion gather at the event to share their knowledge, experience and practices. Government officials, representatives of the organizers, business leaders and other representatives also attended the conference.

During the conference, a memorial ceremony for the grandmaster of acupuncture and moxibustion, Yang Jizhou, was held at a square named after him.

The famous acupuncture practitioner who lived around 400 years ago was born in the area that is now Quzhou's Qujiang district. In his life, Yang traveled to many places in China and offered cures to a large number of patients. His book, "Zhen Jiu Da Cheng" ("Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion"), is regarded as a classic by medical practitioners throughout China's history and enjoys a high reputation in the acupuncture and moxibustion community worldwide. The work was included into the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014. It has also been translated into seven languages and spread to over 180 countries and regions.

The three-day event features a variety of other activities, including an opening ceremony, a forum on the industrial development of acupuncture and moxibustion, a seminar on acupuncture and moxibustion inheritance, a promotional activity for acupuncture and moxibustion, an expo for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and healthcare, and cultural exhibitions.

The traditional Chinese medical therapy acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for chronic ailments and pain. At the expo that kicked off Thursday, people crowded around the stands of various healthcare brands, and well-known TCM practitioners offered free consultations as well as opportunities to experience the treatments.

At the opening ceremony of the conference on Friday, Shi Xuemin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, announced the Qujiang Consensus reached by healthcare experts from Asia, Europe, America and other regions based on their discussions on the innovation of acupuncture and moxibustion.

The consensus document says that acupuncture going global is an irresistible trend, and a wider and higher-level platform for the international cooperation on acupuncture should be constructed; moreover, acupuncture should make greater contributions to promoting human health and improving global health governance.

In addition, a global action plan of acupuncture healthcare was also announced at the gathering.

According to the action plan, Qujiang will establish a global headquarter of acupuncture clinic chain (with the operational headquarter set in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province), open over 1,000 chain clinics around the world – especially in the countries along the Belt and Road – over the next five years, and build the first publicly listed TCM acupuncture-moxibustion brand either in China or overseas.

The hosts of the conference are the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies, the China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, the Global Alliance of SMEs, the Quzhou municipal government, and the Committee of Health Industry Development of China Institute of Strategy and Management. The conference is also under the guidance of the World Health Organization and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

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