Journey to the West: Chinese Medicine Today

Journey to the West is an exploration of the ways in which Traditional Chinese Medicine—including acupuncture, herbs, and martial arts—is being practiced in the 21st century. From a self-taught herbalist in the Himalayan foothills to an experimental acupuncture clinic treating Parkinson’s patients in California, the film examines what the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine says about the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures. Journey to the West also features Zhongxian Wu, a renowned master of Qigong, martial arts, Chinese medicine, Yijing science, Chinese calligraphy, and ancient Chinese music. Shot in China and the U.S., this documentary introduces viewers to an engaging array of different practitioners, and illustrates how this traditional medicine is deeply rooted within a Chinese philosophic system that unites art, mind and body.