[PDF]Health Protection Theories and Methods in Other Ethnic groups   

Other minor ethnic groups in China also emphasize the influence of diet on health. For example, with the influence from Chinese Taoist culture, medicines of the Korean ethnic group attach importance to regime. They emphasize the role of diet, physical activities and mental factors in prevention and cure of diseases and health protection and advocate that "medical nourishment is inferior to dietary nourishment." Miao people emphasize that seIection of some food or drink must depend on different seasons to play a role of health protection or cure. Tujia people believe that diets are sources of nutrition for the human body. But it is important to have some abstention. Excessive diets,extremely hot or cold diets, dirty diets and partiality for a particular kind of food can all cause disease. Dong doctors also believe that food is the chief energy source for maintaining life, but excessive diets without any abstention or too little food will influence bodily health and even result in disease.

     Daily life is also an important factor influencing health. Tujia doctors emphasize the importance of a regular daily life and emphasize that people must adapt to climate changes, cannot be overtired or over troubled, cannot be shocked and must control sexual activities. Miao people often make use of festivals or slack seasons to hold games or displays such as boxing, stick fighting, knives, crossbows, sticking skills with forks, wooden stool dancing and monkey drum by means of farming tools or furniture, which not only amuse but also exercise the body and play a role of strengthening physique and preventing and curing diseases.

     The Gaoshan ethnic group (aboriginal residents in Taiwan) has much health protection knowledge. Some of them are very characteristic, such as aspects in selecting locations and architectures. In Taiwan Island, it is rainy with high temperature all year round. The mountains are high and moist with thick grasses and miasma. Such a climate and geographical environment makes the Gaoshan people living in mountainous regions all year around select those locations and architectures beneficial to health. One of the conditions for them to select a living location is a slope with a sunny exposure and good clean water supply, avoiding open fields with moisture or powerful winds. When building houses, they follow the customs passed down from ancient Yue people and adopt architecture with railings. For example, a famous Chinese historian Jian Bozan wrote in his work, Investigation on Fan People in Taiwan, that the Gaoshan ethnic group "lived on trees or in caves due to the moisture." Today in Alishan, offices and warehouses of the Cao people are built mostly on stakes like storied buildings".

     "Huopao" qigong adopted by the Achang ethnic group has the common characteristics of Chinese qigong. It is a "natural" qigong without consciousness and has the effect of strengthening health.

 [PDF]Health Protection Theories and Methods in Other Ethnic groups