Celebrating age and wisdom

TCM believes that springtime and the liver share the same property of mu (the element of wood). So, in that season, the liver tends to get overactive, creating discomfort.

The stomach and spleen share the properties of tu (the element of earth), which is the opposite of mu. If opposition between these two elements becomes too strong, the body will become uncomfortable.

By the same principles, fish, pork, duck, lotus root, Chinese yam, asparagus, lettuce, lotus seed, apples and bananas are good foods for spring, while chicken, mutton, beef and oranges should be avoided.

All this is to calm the liver, and reduce the burden on stomach and spleen, Wang says.

For thousands years, TCM has taught the Chinese to eat, exercise, dress and rest in certain formulas of harmony, conforming with the changes in seasons and hours of the day. It also advises people to keep emotions stable and diminish desires to help keep the body at optimum health, Wang says.

"TCM is not just theory but also is about lifestyles that people can practice in daily life," says Wang Guohua, a TCM professor and practitioner with the prestigious Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

Acupuncture, herbalism, massage, food therapy and exercise, such as tai chi, are ways through which TCM restores and builds up the body's strength to maintain health.

"Nobody believes I'm almost 80," says Beijinger Wang Shuzhen, who still has a head of mostly black hair and very few wrinkles.

"I follow the old adages on how to live healthily, and I do tai chi. I have been strong since I was a little girl, and I like exercise. I cannot say I'm healthy only because I do tai chi, but it must be one of the prime reasons."

Tai chi is very popular among elderly Chinese as a form of morning exercise. It is said to have the benefits of improving balance, sharpening the mind, enhancing circulation and boosting cardiovascular strength.

Yang Songquan, a tai chi instructor, claims he never catches colds because of his exercises, which he has practiced since he was 4. He now has many disciples in China and abroad.

"Tai chi is like a book that everyone can read anytime, anywhere," Yang says. "It only requires you to be perseverant."

Yang has been teaching tai chi in Beihai Park at Beijing since 1988 without any break.

"When I first practiced tai chi, I had to wear a thick down coat in winter. Gradually, I was able to wear less and less," says 55-year-old Yu Wen, one of Yang's students.

In early 2003, Yu broke her leg and was confined to bed. She developed a severe lung infection. She chanced upon some people practicing tai chi in the park and started learning it out of curiosity.

"I was so ill at that time, and now I'm healthy. I don't have high blood pressure or other chronic diseases," Yu says. "It is impossible to get rid of illness just through tai chi or drinking TCM herbal infusions, but it improves health."

And that's all there is to it. In China, at least, tai chi and TCM are the twin drivers that help elderly converts keep a better balance and grow older and wiser.

Contact the writer at liuzhihua@chinadaily.com.cn.