On March 28th, the seventh batch of Hebei Province's Intangible Cultural Heritage projects—Shi Family Bone Setting—held a "Media Meetup for the Century-Old Inheritance of Shi Family Bone Setting in Beijing" at the Beijing Shangri-La Hotel. At the event, the establishment of the Beijing Shi Family International Research Institute was announced, marking the beginning of Shi Family Bone Setting's innovative layout for inheritance and promotion both domestically and internationally. It also signifies a new starting point for promoting traditional Chinese medicine culture and practicing cultural confidence.
An Ancient Legacy, A Flourishing Tradition
Traditional Chinese Medicine embodies the wisdom accumulated over millennia by the Chinese people, standing as a quintessential representative of China's outstanding traditional culture. Bone-setting techniques represent a treasure within this cultural heritage. Before the prevalence of modern medicine and Western pharmaceuticals, bone-setting bore the primary responsibility for healing illnesses, saving lives, and treating injuries within folk medicine.
Shi Family Bone Setting flourished within this broader historical and cultural context, reaching its zenith during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period. Master Ma Jingtong, a distinguished disciple of Qi Baishi, inscribed a dedication for The Shi Family's Generational Bone Setting Techniques, a seminal work compiling the Shi lineage's medical expertise.
Renowned for its exceptional efficacy, Shi Family Bone Setting gained widespread acclaim throughout the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, earning the reputation as "a marvel of Yan and Zhao, a unique art of Hebei." Its master practitioners were widely celebrated, with historical records noting: "Patients arrived by boat and carriage morning and night; within moments, they departed walking strong."
Upholding Tradition While Innovating, Advancing with the Times
As times changed, the Shi Family Bone-Setting Technique evolved with the era, maturing and refining through practice.
The second-generation inheritor, Shi Ping, carried on the ancestral craft. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he joined Dr. Bethune's field hospital under Lü Zhengcao's command, specializing in treating traumatic injuries, fractures, and dislocations, saving countless anti-Japanese heroes.
Third-generation inheritor Shi Jiming innovated techniques while preserving tradition, incorporating medicinal principles like "the kidneys govern bones, the liver governs tendons" to significantly advance the Shi family bone-setting legacy.
In this era of prosperity, the fourth-generation successor, Shi Feng, took charge of the Shi Family Orthopedics and pioneered the "Seven Shi Feng Orthopedic Methods," including the "Cervical Spine Rehabilitation Method," "Lumbar Disc Rehabilitation Method," "Acute and Chronic Lumbar Injury Treatment," and "Common Pediatric Bone Disease Rehabilitation Method." Among these, the "Common Pediatric Bone Disease Rehabilitation Method" has, to a certain extent, filled a gap in the relevant field of global medicine.With decades of medical practice, Shi Feng has benefited tens of thousands of people nationwide.
Simultaneously, the Shi Family Orthopedics upholds patriotic values and emphasizes social responsibility. Since 2016, it has annually trained five batches of students from remote mountainous regions. To date, 23 sessions have dispatched over 1,000 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in traditional Chinese medicine across the country.The Shi Family Orthopedics also maintains a long-term commitment to medical outreach programs, providing healthcare services to remote mountainous regions and contributing to the Healthy China initiative. Advancing to Beijing for Legacy Preservation, Steadily Moving Forward Shi Feng, the fourth-generation inheritor of Shi Family Orthopedics, explained that the practice's move to Beijing and the establishment of the "Beijing Shi Family International Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute" aim to benefit the nation through exceptional medical theory and techniques.
It is reported that the Beijing Shi International Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute will build upon traditional training curricula—including apprenticeship ceremonies, TCM lectures, clinical practice, and consultations for complex conditions—while collaborating with educational institutions and publishers to comprehensively disseminate TCM and bone-setting knowledge to the public. This initiative aims to enhance societal understanding and recognition of China's traditional culture.Additionally, Shi's Orthopedic Techniques will regularly conduct outreach in Beijing communities, offering free medical consultations to promote healthy lifestyle habits and cultivate wellness among residents.
According to the introduction, Shi's Orthopedic Therapy envisions accelerating its expansion across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and subsequently nationwide, using the "Beijing Shi's International Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute" as its starting point. In the near future, the institute will also serve as a beachhead for overseas expansion, enabling this cultural treasure of Shi's Orthopedic Therapy to reach international audiences and influence the world.
"Uphold integrity, embrace compassion, minimize profit, heal the people"—promoting mutual learning among civilizations and safeguarding public health. With a century-long legacy, Shi's Orthopedic Technique stands not only as a pillar of innovation and continuity in traditional Chinese medicine culture but also as a vital contributor to realizing the Healthy China vision and enriching global medical wisdom.