Tim Vukan, a German expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Tim Vukan, a German expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), first became aware of TCM when practicing the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. Gradually, his interest in the subject grew. In 2004, Tim came to Hangzhou and obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. He then went on to teach "TCM English" at the same school. On March 20 of this year, he was invited for a telephone interview by 'InZhejiang' at his home in Germany.

'In Zhejiang'’s dialogue with Tim Vukan: How should we understand TCM? How should TCM education advance with the times? And what kind of preventive and curative measures can TCM offer us against the coronavirus pandemic?

"TCM is an ancient science featuring a lot of philosophical content and is quite difficult to understand or to explain. The important thing is that is has shown clinical effectiveness. TCM relies on the four key methods of 'Wang, Wen, Wen, Qie', or 'observation, auscultation, and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse feeling and palpation'. This is very different from, say, running a routine blood test to obtain diagnostic data."

The history of TCM can be traced back to as early as the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods. Books on the subject have been preserved for over a thousand years, and it is no mean feat to understand and analyze these ancient classics.

Tim gives an example of a line from the "Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon": "Having Zhengqi inside of you means you will not be invaded by evil." He explains that many people may find this hard to understand, but that Zhengqi actually refers to the immune system. It can, therefore, be interpreted as meaning that people with stronger immune systems will not be as susceptible to illness.

There is a lot of specialist terminology in TCM, with Zhengqi being just one of the terms used. They are almost like a secret code, requiring those who are educated in TCM to decipher them and help ordinary people understand.

In order to make TCM accessible to more people around the world, Tim has set up the Wushan TCM Platform, offering online courses in traditional medicine practices. However, as a predominantly Chinese tradition, would TCM also work in other countries?

"The most important thing is to change people's way of thinking"

Tim feels there is no such concept as "Nourishing Life (Yang Sheng)" in the west, so people there would not really show much interest. He himself did not really lend much credence to the idea at first, but he then began to notice that his digestive system was not as good as it used to be, and even after going to the hospital and exercising more, he did not feel there was all that much improvement. It was only when he turned to TCM that he finally got better. "Westerners may be pretty healthy on the whole, but much as most illnesses don’t just appear all of a sudden, TCM won’t just miraculously work after a day or two of treatment. It often takes years." He says, "What I am trying to do is to make people understand the significance of nourishing life – you shouldn’t wait until you realize that something is wrong with your body before taking preventive measures."

It was his own experience that made him fully appreciate the merits of TCM and understand that it is actually suitable for everybody.

As a former student of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University and a current teacher of TCM, Tim shares his frank opinions on TCM education in China.

"A combination of theoretical learning and clinical practice is a must"

 He has observed that university students learn a lot of theory in their classes, but that practical application of that knowledge is the key to a proper understanding of the subject. Students need more opportunities to gain clinical experience, such as by carrying out a diagnosis through feeling a patient’s pulse. He has seen many Chinese students who have studied TCM for years but are unable to properly explain the concept of "Yin Yang". A patient might ask you what Pixu (a weakness of the spleen) is, and it is your answer that will determine whether the person will accept your treatment,” he says.

"TCM is more than just an 'outdated' subject"

After living in Hangzhou for over ten years, Tim has witnessed the increased internationalization of the city. "It is quite likely that you might have a foreign patient in the hospital, and you would need to communicate in English. Internationalization is not about being able to buy a cup of Starbucks coffee in a shopping mall, I also hope that my students can improve their English skills and grow into more cosmopolitan TCM practitioners."

"Take a step back to take a step forward"

 As a university professor, Tim feels he is very good at observing students, at understanding what they are interested in and what their needs are. He is also very critical of his own teaching - self-examination is a key foundation of progress.

As COVID-19 spreads throughout the world, what role can TCM play in the absence of a specific treatment or vaccine?

Tim puts forward two different approaches for us to consider.

The first involves prevention. At the moment, many people throughout the world are experiencing lockdown. They cannot go out exercising or socializing with friends as much as they would like to. Since humans are social animals, it is natural for us to feel upset. "Maintaining a proper diet and a healthy routine is beneficial to your emotions and to your physical and mental well-being. One of the principles of TCM is the harmony between body and soul." He once more quotes the line from the "Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon", to highlight the idea that even if you are isolated at home, you should still ensure your immune system is in good working order by keeping a positive mindset and not worrying too much.

The second involves treatment. “There is no concept of bacteria or viruses in TCM; what it does is to relieve symptoms. It is known that the main symptoms of Covid-19 include a high temperature, fatigue, and shortness of breath. There are herbs that can clear away heat and toxic materials, as well as being effective pain relievers.” He also recognizes that quarantine is a necessary precaution, as it helps to cut off transmission routes and reduce the rate of infection.

 As Tim puts it himself, Traditional Chinese Medicine "is a national treasure, wide-reaching and profound." Only by fully understanding it can you truly appreciate its wisdom. TCM may offer another way to aid our bodies and our minds amid the uncertainty of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

吴狄赫是一名来自德国的中医专家，当年因为练习咏春拳，他接触到了中医并对中医产生了浓厚的兴趣。2004年，吴狄赫来到杭州，先后在浙江中医药大学攻读本科、硕士，并于2018年成为该校外教，教授《中医英语》课程。今年3月20号，他在德国家中接受了印象浙江英文网的电话采访。

印象浙江英文网对话德国中医专家吴狄赫，探讨我们到底该如何理解中医？中医教育该如何与时俱进？以及在新冠病毒全球蔓延的背景下，中医又能给我们开辟一条怎样的防治之路？

“中医是一门很古老的、有哲学意义的学科，它很难懂，所以要理解。临床上已经证明中医有效。中医讲求望、闻、问、切，而不是去测量一个血常规得到一个数值来进行诊断。”

早在春秋战国时期，中医理论就已经基本形成，千年的发展也给后世留下了许多宝贵的中医书籍。但要读懂这些书籍绝非易事。

对此，吴狄赫举了《黄帝内经》里面的一句“正气内存，邪不可干”为例：“很多人一开始都读不懂，在中医里，‘正气’其实就是指人体的免疫系统，这句话简单来说就是，如果一个人的免疫系统强大就不容易得病。

在中医书籍中有很多类似“正气”这样的“术语”，这些“术语”就像是一个个“代码”，需要接受过中医教育的人进行解码，才能让普通人理解。”

为了让世界各地的人了解中医，吴狄赫创办了“吴山中医”这个网上中医教学交流平台。但作为中国传统的医学体系，中医在世界上又有多大的适用性呢？

“最重要的是改变思想观念。”

吴狄赫认为，西方没有“养生”的概念，所以很多西方人不注重这些。他自己以前也不在意，后来发现自己的消化系统不如从前，而看西医、锻炼都没有很好地解决问题，于是他用中医慢慢调理，现在就好起来了。“西方人的体质可能没问题，但人不是明天就得病，而中医也不是一天两天就见效，常需要花好几年的时间。”他说，“我现在就是要让西方人慢慢理解‘养生’的意义，不要等年纪大了才发现出了问题。”

正是因为自己的亲身经历，吴狄赫更加意识到了中医的重要性。中医其实是适用于所有人的。

作为一名本硕皆在浙江中医药大学攻读中医的学生，也早已是一名中医教师，吴狄赫对于中国的中医教育也有几番肺腑之言。

“一定要将理论和临床结合起来”

吴狄赫表示，现在的大学生在课堂上已经学习了很多关于中医的理论知识，但真正理解并运用知识才是关键。学生必须要有更多的临床锻炼机会，比如实际去试试把脉。他观察到，有些中国大学生虽然学了很多年的中医，但却无法用自己的话把“阴阳”这个概念讲明白。在面对病人的时候，重要的是思考怎么说才能让病人明白。他说：“看病的时候如果病人问你‘脾虚’是个什么东西，你的回答决定了病人能否接受中医的疗法。”

“中医不能是一门‘土’学科”

来杭州十多年，吴狄赫感受到这座城市越来越快的国际化发展步伐。他说：“未来在医院里，你可能会遇到外国病人，你肯定要学会用英语看病。‘国际化’不是说到一个商场里可以买到一杯星巴克就够了，我希望学中医的学生自己能参与到‘国际化’中，锻炼英语口语，把英语运用到工作中。”

“后退一步再前进一步”

作为一名在大学授课的老师，吴狄赫表示，自己很会观察学生，观察他们对哪些方面感兴趣，观察他们的需求在哪里。他也常常批评、反思自己的教学方法，反省是进步的重要基础。

当前新冠疫情全球蔓延，在没有特效药且缺乏疫苗的情况下，中医又能发挥怎样的作用？

吴狄赫从两个方面给我们提供了思路。

首先是“防”字。现在大部分受疫情影响的国家都实行了隔离的措施，本是“春光无限好”的时候，结果一觉醒来只能在家，外出锻炼、和朋友见面的机会都大大减少，在这样的情况下，人作为一种群居动物，情绪肯定会受影响。吴狄赫说：“这个时候保持健康的饮食和规律的作息对于调节情绪、调整身心都很有益处。中医讲究的就是‘心’和‘身’的和谐统一。”他再次引用《黄帝内经》中的那句话，强调人们在家中也要注重提高自己的免疫能力，保持良好的心态，不要焦虑。

其次是“治”字。“中医并没有‘治疗病毒’、‘治疗细菌’这种概念，中医所做的是帮助病人缓解症状。我们都知道感染新冠病毒的症状有发热、乏力、气短等，而中医里的一些药材可以起到清热解毒等缓解病痛的作用。”他同时也很赞同现在的做法，认为隔离是有必要的，因为隔离是为了切断传播，降低感染率。

中医，就像吴狄赫说的，“是国宝，是博大精深的学问。”唯有理解才能领悟它的智慧。在新冠病毒疫情全球蔓延的背景下，中医或许可以从另一方面为我们的身体和心灵伸出援助之手。

（Executive Editor: Ye Ke)