TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods

Ⅸ-2Traditional MedicineNankai, TianjinBatch 5 (2021)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

It originated in Tianjin and, centered on Tianjin, spread to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Liaoning, Yunnan and other places. In the late Qing and early Republican period, Tianjin — the earliest opened city in the north — was crowded with wealthy merchants and high officials, who would seek medical treatment at the slightest ailment. As a result, many famous traditional Chinese physicians gathered in Tianjin, among them no small number of renowned visceral Tuina masters. It was at this time that Shi Hanqing (of Kaifeng, Henan), the founder of Jingu visceral Tuina, combined the “mind, intent, qi and force” characteristics of Shaolin internal training with visceral Tuina, initially establishing the main body of Jingu visceral Tuina theory.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Jingu visceral Tuina is a traditional Chinese medical therapeutic method in which the physician applies Tuina manipulations to the patient's abdomen to treat internal medicine, gynecological and pediatric conditions caused by dysfunction of the zang-fu organs, thereby achieving the goal of preventing and curing disease. “Jin” and “Gu” are both alternative names for Tianjin, which, lying at the confluence of the South and North Canals and close to Beijing, has always been highly prosperous economically and culturally. Visceral Tuina has marked efficacy for internal and gynecological conditions and can spare patients the suffering of injections and medicines; it spread widely in Tianjin. His disciple Hu Xiuzhang, a Tianjin native, inherited his Tuina technique and theory and additionally studied under An Chunru, the great Tuina master of Gaoyang, Hebei; integrating the two schools, he formed the distinctive Jingu visceral Tuina therapy. Jingu visceral Tuina is expressed mainly through Tuina manipulations combined with the reinforcing and reducing methods. Its Tuina manipulations are distinctive: the movements are slow and calm, steady and forceful, and its core operating methods include the abdominal pressing method, the abdominal kneading method, the abdominal transporting method and the abdominal pushing method. On the one hand, it emphasizes, in the process of abdominal adjustment, being light without floating and heavy without stagnation; on the other hand, it requires the manipulations to be applied in exactly the right measure, stressing the use of the core manipulations of pressing, kneading, transporting and pushing, so as to strengthen and move the spleen and stomach and to benefit the kidney and receive qi. Reinforcing and reducing is the distinguishing feature of Jingu visceral Tuina: on the basis of the “five layers of qi” and the “four modes of guiding therapy,” and according to the depth to which the pathogen has invaded the body, it employs pressing to different levels to adjust the qi dynamics of the zang-fu organs in a targeted manner. Jingu visceral Tuina treats a relatively broad range of conditions, and excels at therapeutic approaches such as warmly supplementing the spleen and kidney, supplementing qi and nourishing the zang-fu organs, rectifying qi and moving stagnation, moving qi and resolving dampness, and soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen. Jingu visceral Tuina is a traditional characteristic therapy of traditional Chinese medicine with its own complete theoretical system. In the prevention and treatment of disease it also has the advantages of being simple, convenient, inexpensive and effective. It is an important component of Chinese medicine culture; it has not only promoted the development of medicine, health and the economy in the Tianjin region, but also advanced the development of the specialty of visceral Tuina within traditional Chinese medicine.

Pressing the abdomen

One of four core techniques, applied with a steady weight — light without floating, heavy without stagnation.

Rubbing the abdomen

Rotating the palm root over the abdomen to warm and move the spleen and stomach, the foundation of the tonifying methods.

Circulating the abdomen

Working to different depths through the layers so that the qi of the internal organs is adjusted by level — the distinctive part of the method.

Pushing the abdomen

Pushing along the abdomen to move qi and clear stagnation, used for stagnation and damp obstruction.

The four abdominal techniques

Pressing, rubbing, circulating and pushing, together with tonifying and discharging, form the operative core of the method.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Jingu visceral Tuina arose in Tianjin. Because Tianjin lies at the confluence of the South and North Canals and is close to Beijing, merchants and high officials gathered there in the late Qing and early Republican period, the slightest ailment would prompt them to summon a physician, and famous masters gathered accordingly, making the place a stronghold of visceral Tuina in the north. The founder, Shi Hanqing, was a native of Kaifeng, Henan; his disciple Hu Xiuzhang additionally studied under An Chunru, the renowned visceral Tuina master of Gaoyang, Hebei, fusing the two schools into one and forming the distinctive Jingu style. Today, centered on Tianjin, the therapy has been transmitted to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Liaoning, Yunnan and elsewhere. The fifth-generation inheritors still keep the old rule of “learning from the ancients without being bound by them,” maintaining the basic skills of pressing, kneading, transporting and pushing while adding new applications to suit the diseases of the present age.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Since its founding, Jingu visceral Tuina has been passed down from generation to generation mainly through master-disciple transmission in diagnostic and therapeutic practice. Its lineage of transmission is clear, and it has now reached the fifth generation. Each generation of inheritors has upheld the principle of “learning from the ancients without being bound by them,” continuously developing the Tuina art in accordance with the demands of the times while inheriting it, so that the influence of this heritage project has steadily grown. Its history of transmission and development has been closely linked with the development of Tianjin culture and canal culture. Protecting this cultural heritage is of positive significance for carrying forward Chinese medicine culture, enhancing people's health and cultural identity, and promoting social harmony.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods (Nankai, Tianjin) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回英文名录。