With 58 years of medical practice, Huang Dingjian adheres to the principle of “people-oriented, benevolence in heart and technique” to treat numerous patients. He combines syndrome differentiation, disease differentiation, and meridian differentiation, forming a unique therapeutic skill set that integrates acupuncture, moxibustion, thread therapy, and herbal medicine, excelling in the slow twisting needle insertion technique, achieving remarkable results. In 2022, he was awarded the title of “National Renowned TCM Physician.”
With the needle in hand, a skilled practitioner with a benevolent heart. Photo by Liao Yijin
On a morning after heavy rain, the reporter visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine to seek out the national renowned TCM physician and acupuncture master, Professor Huang Dingjian.
At 83 years old, Professor Huang is consulting and treating patients in his renowned physician’s studio. He holds a silver needle, inserting it slowly and intermittently, speaking softly, with a warm smile and a caring gaze, calm and unhurried. He insists on seeing patients five half-days a week and conducts ward rounds irregularly, solving difficult cases, with appointments being highly sought after.
“A physician with a divine needle,” has been practicing for 59 years.
“The acupuncture technique with fine needles consists of five basic steps: holding the needle, inserting the needle, manipulating the needle, retaining the needle, and withdrawing the needle. It emphasizes the five key elements of theory, method, formula, point, and technique. The way of manipulating the needle affects both the patient’s experience and the efficacy of the acupuncture treatment,” Professor Huang explained while adjusting the patient’s clothing. “The speed of needle insertion varies the skin’s stimulation; slow insertion provides a gentler and more lasting stimulation, allowing the skin to fully function to facilitate the flow of qi and adjust it.”
Huang Dingjian clearly remembers his first encounter with fine needles during middle school. After experiencing joint pain, a local physician named Zhu Han treated him with acupuncture, and he was cured without taking any medicine. In 1959, he enrolled in Guangxi Chinese Medicine College, becoming a physician with a “divine needle” and cherishing this opportunity. After graduating in 1963, he has been working in the acupuncture department for 59 years.
“I will never forget my acupuncture mentor, Mr. Li Renyuan, and the classic course instructors, Mr. Lin Peixiang (Guangxi) and Mr. Yang Changseng (Nanjing). At critical moments of academic transformation, I received guidance and support from modern acupuncture masters like Master Zhu Lian.” The anatomical model of meridians and acupuncture points given to him by his teacher Li Renyuan is his most treasured possession, placed on his office desk, polished to a shine after decades of handling. “I am the first person from Donglan County to enter a Chinese medicine institution; I want to repay the Party and government, my teachers, and my patients with my lifelong learning.”
Professor Huang Dingjian during ward rounds.
In Huang Dingjian’s view, TCM is a life science that integrates humanistic philosophy and natural science. He adheres to the belief of being people-oriented and following the natural way, emphasizing the simultaneous differentiation of meridians and organs, forming a self-contained system of acupuncture (thread therapy) and herbal medicine that responds to the four seasonal timings. The small fine needle first gathers qi, and the feedback from the patient’s symptoms is conveyed to his heart, adjusting his techniques according to the responses; he skillfully uses gentle moxibustion and thread therapy, determining whether to use needles, moxibustion, or herbs based on the patient’s condition, which is truly exquisite.
Acupuncture is simple, effective, and affordable; a lifetime of saving lives through needle therapy.
Huang Dingjian has a deep love for acupuncture. “Acupuncture is inexpensive, has no toxic side effects, and has a wide range of applications, especially excelling in treating clinical conditions such as atrophy, paralysis, pain, and miscellaneous diseases.” He is well-versed in various acupuncture techniques, particularly those that are gentle, meticulous, effective, and often painless, adjusting the depth and strength of needle insertion according to the condition. For example, for a lumbar sprain, he safely retains the needle at the upper lumbar point; for dysmenorrhea, he immediately relieves pain at the Chengjiang (承浆) point; for facial paralysis, acupuncture can resolve the issue without medication; for hiccups, he uses the Neiguan (内关) point to alleviate symptoms. Throughout nearly six decades of his medical career, Huang Dingjian has continuously witnessed the miraculous effects of acupuncture.
Still insisting on seeing patients and teaching at over eighty years old. Photo by Liao Yijin
From 1983 to 1986, Huang Dingjian was sent by the state to assist Niger. Due to the simplicity and effectiveness of acupuncture, it particularly piqued curiosity, making acupuncture physicians the busiest in medical and social activities. A United Nations official stationed in Niger, who had difficulty with sexual function and could not start a family, was treated by Huang Dingjian with acupuncture, and soon after, the official visited with his wife and brought gifts for each member of the medical team.
From 2004 to 2006, Huang Dingjian engaged in academic exchanges in Sweden, frequently asked questions like: What is TCM? How do you diagnose? Huang Dingjian repeatedly explained the holistic view of TCM, which follows the natural way and the unity of heaven and humanity, using the concepts of balancing deficiency and excess, and employing natural herbs and manual techniques to treat and regulate health for the locals. One female patient, aged 39, had suffered from asthma since the age of 13, relying on hormones and antispasmodics for treatment, experiencing seven pregnancies with seven miscarriages, and gastrointestinal dysfunction, with poor treatment outcomes. Huang Dingjian adopted a method of strengthening the foundation and warming the lungs, using acupuncture for regulation, combined with ground orange peel for treatment over more than six months. Her asthma improved, and the following year she became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. Another female patient had a leg wound that had not healed for 16 years. Huang Dingjian went to the countryside to collect honeysuckle vine to wash the open wound, combined with acupuncture for three months, resulting in new granulation tissue, and the skin turned rosy, healing the wound in three months. Professor Huang stated: “The miracles created by a single needle have spread Chinese civilization and increased my confidence and responsibility.”
“Many people ask me how to become an excellent TCM acupuncture physician. I always reply that one should read classics without being stuck in the past, innovate while adhering to the fundamentals. The four words ‘bold yet meticulous’ taught by my mentor Zhu Lian are my motto.” In practice, Huang Dingjian summarized a nine-character formula: clear mind, diligent hands and feet, and strong waist and legs. For decades, he has consistently learned the classics to gain wisdom; practiced diligently to hone his skills; and maintained physical fitness to enhance his practice.
Transmission is the responsibility and obligation of the previous generation; inheritance is the mission and responsibility of the next generation.
TCM emphasizes inheritance, and Huang Dingjian is no exception. He often says: transmission is the responsibility and obligation of the previous generation; inheritance is the mission and responsibility of the next generation. In 1980, Huang Dingjian organized the establishment of Guangxi’s first acupuncture specialty ward, expanding the number of beds from 15 to 50, opening a new chapter in acupuncture medical education and research in Guangxi, and establishing the Guangxi “Acupuncture Medical Center.”
In 1997, Huang Dingjian was recognized as a “Guiding Teacher for the Inheritance of Academic Experience of the Second Batch of National Old TCM Experts.” In 2010, he was awarded a project for the establishment of a “National Old TCM Experts Academic Inheritance Studio” by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, forming a team for academic inheritance, conducting inheritance work, talent training, and promoting clinical experience. In 2018, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine established the Guangxi Acupuncture Specialty Alliance to promote the quality and standardization of acupuncture medical services.
In 2012, Huang Dingjian was awarded the title of “Guangxi School TCM Master.” In the same year, he organized a team of renowned TCM experts to provide free clinics in Baise, Donglan, Bama, Fengshan, and other areas; in 2014, with strong support from the local government and the leadership of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, he established the first village-level renowned physician grassroots workstation in Ban Gong Village, San Shi Town, Donglan County, regularly sending teams to the grassroots level every quarter, conducting over 20 training sessions on suitable TCM techniques and various themed lectures, treating over 10,000 patients in eight years. During his outreach clinics, he has seen as many as 200 patients in a single day.
Reflecting on his 59-year medical career, Huang Dingjian humbly states: “I have treated many patients, with successes and disappointments, some situations beyond my control, and some awkward and regrettable moments. The reasons are nothing more than the complexity and variability of medical affairs, the vastness and profundity of TCM, and my limited knowledge and skills, which require continuous effort.”
Source: Guangxi Daily
Editor: Chen TengReviewers: Wei Zhigang, Han Guang, Gong JingSubmission Email: [email protected]
