Two children get medical plasters sticked on their chests at Shenyang Chinese Medicine Hospital on the first day of "toufu"this year in Shenyang, Liaoning province on July 19, 2010. "Toufu" is the first of three periods traditionally regarded as the hottest summer days of the Chinese lunar calendar, the other two "zhongfu" (the second period) and "mofu" (the third period). Continous treatment of putting "futie" (medical plasters used for summer treatment) on certain acupuncture points in these three periods can cure diseases that one often gets in the winter such as Asthma and other respiratory infections, according to theories of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The whole treatment process lasts for three summers. [Xinhua] |