【杭州网】Massimo’s Seeds of Traditional Chinese Medicine Blossom in Africa
"Xiao Ma, I heard you've opened your Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic in Mauritius. Congratulations! ""Thanks, Professor Fang! My dream has come true."On a recent day, Bondi Massimo, an Italian, got up early to visit his mentor at the Zhejiang Famous TCM Specialists’ Clinic Centre—Professor Fang Jianqiao, a renowned scholar of Qihuang and a distinguished national TCM master.Upon meeting, due to the similarity in pronunciation, Professor Fang affectionately nicknamed him “Xiao Ma”. “Xiao Ma” responded fluently in Chinese.Massimo studied Acupuncture and Massage at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University , graduated with a doctoral degree last year. This year, his "TCM dream" has blossomed and borne fruit in Mauritius, Africa—he established a TCM clinic there, which has been operating for over three months now.Recalling his academic journey, Massimo said, "Professor Fang's team feels like a big family; the atmosphere is great, and my research on cervical spondylosis progressed rapidly." Beside him, Professor Fang gave the Italian student a thumbs-up: "His wife is usually very busy, and he has four children at home to take care of, but he still persists in studying. It's not easy!"The driving force behind Massimo's persistence is his adoration for TCM.After obtaining a bachelor's degree in TCM in Israel, Massimo felt it was only the beginning ; if he wanted to practice medicine, further studies in China were necessary.Along with his family, Massimo came to Hangzhou in 2013 to further his studies and successively obtained a master's and doctoral degree in Acupuncture and Massage."Influenced by me, my children have developed an interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine." Massimo shared, “For example, my youngest son, who loves football and often experiences muscle fatigue, finds great relief from pediatric massages I give him.”Initially, Massimo wanted to continue studying and practicing TCM in China. Last year, when his wife received an invitation to work from Mauritius, he conceived a new dream: to bring TCM to Africa. According to authoritative reports by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM has now been promoted to 196 countries and regions worldwide. "Among these, the promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Africa is relatively limited. Therefore, I fully support him—it’s a great cause!" Professor Fang said."At present, I am the only practitioner in the clinic, but there are quite a few patients in the clinic," Massimo explained, Most of the patients are those suffering from joint and muscle pain.The confidence to run a clinic single-handedly comes from his learning experience in China and guidance from his mentors. During his studies in China, Massimo participated in numerous free clinics, accumulating a lot of experience. "In the overseas promotion of TCM, acupuncture and massage are like 'door-openers,' being more easily accepted by foreign patients. This aligns perfectly with his expertise." Professor Fang has always encouraged Massimo, as well as assured him that he could seek advice anytime if he encountered any problems in Africa.When talking about future plans, Massimo aims to spread acupuncture courses in Africa, take TCM techniques to other countries, benefiting more patient.It is understood that in recent years, China has promoted TCM culture by establishing Confucius Institutes of TCM and TCM centers abroad. Meanwhile, Chinese universities have strengthened cooperation with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, attracting numerous international students to study TCM in China.During the interview, Professor Fang happily told the reporter, "Compared to thirty years ago, an increasing number of international students are coming to China to study TCM, and their levels are getting higher. Everyone dedicates themselves wholeheartedly to their studies, all hoping to become TCM practitioners who can heal the sick."Author: By Jia Yu Ye Correspondent Ying Chen Editor: Li Jiameng原文链接：https://en.hangzhou.com.cn/News/content/2025-05/19/content_8998342.html
