By Feng Jingwen, Zhao Zhaoyang, Qin Yuxi, and Li Junfeng
On the afternoon of November 18, at the Zhengzhou Jinkeng Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Hospital, some patients recognized the “foreign doctor of Chinese medicine” following his mentor during clinic hours, exclaiming, “I saw your video of saving someone!”
From November 15, search items like “Tourist Suffers Sudden Cardiac Arrest While Hiking He Rescues on the Spot” and “Wu Ming Performs Textbook Chinese Medicine Emergency Care” trended on multiple social media platforms. Some netizens commented that the unknown healer, Wu Ming, has become even “more known” now.
Wu Ming, originally named Joel Walker, is a young German man with golden hair and blue eyes, fair-skinned, who has been living and studying in Henan. He came to study Chinese medicine but has gained over 3 million followers with his “earthy” Henan dialect, becoming a well-known comedy blogger.
This recent “fame,” however, seems to have validated Wu Ming’s primary profession – he is still a practitioner of Chinese medicine.
“After studying Chinese medicine in Henan for over eight years, saving lives is a normal thing. Sudden cardiac death is one of the leading causes of death globally, and if more people know about this method, I think it’s valuable.”
An Unexpected Incident on the Descent
The rescue story is an “old” news item from over a month ago.
On September 28, Wu Ming was invited to record a Chinese medicine culture program in Dengfeng, Henan. On his way down the mountain, he suddenly heard cries for help; a tourist had fainted and collapsed.
“I rushed over and saw her curled up, her face pale,” Wu Ming recalled.
There was no professional emergency equipment on the spot, and the girl had no pulse or heartbeat. Without hesitation, Wu Ming laid the girl flat and quickly applied the Chinese medicine rescue methods he had learned, while also video-calling his mentor, Song Zhaopu, the president of Ruzhou Jinkeng Rehabilitation Hospital, for guidance.
Eventually, the girl regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital by ambulance for further treatment.
“Later, I found out that before she fainted, she was sweating profusely, felt chest tightness, couldn’t stand up after squatting, and then everything went black,” Wu Ming recounted, still shaken by the event from over a month ago. “I was scared out of my wits too; after the ambulance left, my hands were still trembling.”
Although Wu Ming had not graduated yet, this was not his first time independently treating a patient in shock, but such a severe situation still left him overwhelmed. “I was afraid of making a mistake or delaying even a bit, which might have caused death”
Song Zhaopu gave Wu Ming a thumbs-up, “The Chinese medicine emergency methods Wu Ming used bought valuable time for the patient before the ambulance arrived.”
At that time, Wu Ming had been apprenticing under Song Zhaopu for over a year in clinical Chinese medicine. In Song’s view, Wu Ming was very talented, “Without virtue, one cannot practice medicine; only with good medical ethics can one become a true doctor.”
On November 15, the program that Wu Ming participated in was broadcast on Shanghai Oriental TV. The program team included the rescue moment in the show, which quickly spread across the internet, receiving praise from netizens, “The compassion of a doctor knows no borders.”
A foreign student of traditional Chinese Medicine
In 2015, at the age of 20, Wu Ming traveled a great distance to arrive in Zhengzhou.
Having taken the German college entrance examination, he could have easily been admitted to a local public university for free. However, having practiced martial arts at the German Shaolin Temple since childhood, he had a deep affection for traditional Chinese culture. At the age of 11, he set his future goal: to study Chinese medicine in China.
“After graduating from high school, I visited various universities of Chinese medicine across the country. Right before the start of the semester, I still felt drawn to studying in Henan,” Wu Ming said. His passion for martial arts had already given him a strong connection to the province. “To study Chinese medicine, one must go to the place with the richest cultural atmosphere and the most authentic teachings.”
Thus, he became an international student at Henan University of Chinese Medicine.
After more than eight years of studying medicine, all of Wu Ming’s relatives have benefited a lot, with each family member experiencing his acupuncture treatments. “Now, when family members don’t feel well, they first ask me for treatment methods. Sometimes, I tell them which acupoints to press. My sister came to Henan and took traditional Chinese medicine for over a month for regulation, and she felt a significant improvement in her health, even recommending it to her friends,” he said.
After graduating with a master’s degree from Henan University of Chinese Medicine this summer, Wu Ming chose to stay in China to continue his medical studies under a mentor.
Under Song Zhaopu, Wu Ming has been learning acupuncture, clinical practice, and his teacher’s dialectical thinking.
Recently, Wu Ming also became an apprentice to Professor Xu Jingsheng of Henan University of Chinese Medicine. Nearly 80 years old, Professor Xu is a nationally renowned expert in medical classics and traditional Chinese medicine culture. His moral character, profound knowledge, and dedication are greatly admired by Wu Ming.
Promoting Traditional Chinese Medicine to the World
This year marks Wu Ming’s tenth year in Henan.
Now, he is not only well-versed in the traditional classics of Chinese medicine but also skilled in acupuncture and herbal prescriptions.
“Since studying medicine, my mindset, worldview, and many of my thoughts have changed. I believe that Chinese medicine is both a clinical science and a philosophy,” Wu Ming said. The path of his medical studies is a long one. “Through studying Chinese medicine, I can help more people. Chinese medicine is vast and profound, and there is still much I need to learn.”
Looking back on his experience of saving a life on the mountain, Wu Ming is even more convinced of his choice. This choice allowed him to personally save a young life.
“This experience has increased my confidence and resolve. If I encounter such a situation again, I will be even more determined to choose this method,” Wu Ming said. His longer-term goal is to promote traditional Chinese Medicine Culture to the world. “Chinese medicine is a part of Chinese culture. I hope to use various methods to let more people understand it.”
