Chinese Traditions

Spring is a time of awakening, a season when nature bursts to life after the dormancy of winter. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it corresponds to the Wood element, representing birth, growth, and transformation. Much like the trees that stretch toward the sun, their branches bending around obstacles yet remaining steadfast, Wood embodies the balance of flexibility and strength.

Discover what the Year of the Yin Wood Snake brings in terms of energy, opportunities, and challenges. With Fire and Wood elements influencing the year, we'll see rapid innovation, transformation, and change. Learn how these energies may impact health, weather, and technology!

The Spring Festival is celebrated for 15 days, complete with activities, superstitions, gatherings and festivals. It is an ancient holiday which has developed over eons and while many customs are the same throughout, some are observed in specific regions or communities in China. Many of those below are especially important to the southern Chinese communities living along the Pearl River Delta and the diaspora of Cantonese immigrants around the world, including our own Lau family.

Chinese New Year, traditionally called Chūn Jié 春節 or “Spring Festival” is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. 15 days long, it is a celebration of the renewal of life, a time for ritual and prayer, gatherings of family and friends, and the observance of traditions. Lots of preparations are done before the holiday so let’s look at some of the more modern Chinese traditions you can follow for good health, happiness, and better fortune in the coming year!

The coming year augurs a sea change in American society. A near majority of voters have voted for substantial change to the way the country’s leaders govern. Our American Experiment continues, and many of us may feel that “These are the times that try men’s souls.”as Thomas Paine wrote in December 1776 after the first decisive loss in the American colonies’ fight for independence. The reactions of many people have been couched in the emotions engendered when the battle has been lost, and uncertainty prevails. Worry, anxiety, fear, anger, outrage, grief, disappointment, depression, disheartenment, and despair show themselves. Read on about the 2025 New Year I Ching Read More

The winter solstice has always been celebrated in China as the resting time of the year. In winter the life energy is still underground. The Return of Light is just beginning; therefore, it must be strengthened by rest so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely. This principle of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest, applies to all similar situations. The return of health after illness, the return of understanding after an estrangement: everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering in its due course.

The winter solstice or Dōngzhì 冬至 holds great importance in both Chinese culture and Chinese Medicine. Dongzhi literally means 'Winter's Arrival'. It is usually celebrated on December 20th or 21st, when the day is the shortest and the night the longest in the northern hemisphere, a fact known since 2500 BCE when the first sundials were used in China. The winter solstice is commonly known as the "Winter Festival" and “Festival of Extreme length” (as the sun’s extreme position lengthens shadows), and since ancient times was regarded as a major festival on par with the lunar New Year.

Winter’s stillness invites us to turn inward, reflect, and restore. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this season is governed by the Water element, symbolizing adaptability, introspection, and unseen potential. Join us as we explore how Water teaches resilience and balance, its connection to the Kidneys and Bladder, and tips for aligning with the season’s natural rhythm.

Yin Chen Hao, Artemisia capillaris, got its name in China. Its common name is capillary wormwood. Yin Chen Hao belongs to the herb category, 'herbs that drain dampness', and it is used primarily to clear damp heat from the liver and gallbladder and to relieve jaundice. Read about the interesting herb story about Yin Chen Hao and how it got its name.

The hexagram associated with the Autumnal Equinox is #58 Lake. It is one of the eight hexagrams that are doubled trigrams, in this case Lake over Lake. The hexagram itself shows two strong lines within, expressing themselves through the medium of the gentle.

For the last 3,000 years, Chinese people have celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Lunar calendar (September 17 in 2024). This important holiday gathers family and friends to give thanks for a good harvest and to celebrate the harmony between each other and in society. We've also included a recipe to make your own mooncakes!

Zi Su Ye is an herb commonly served with fish in sushi restaurants. Read this entertaining and educational herb story that's all about Perilla Leaf and its usefullness for tummy troubles!

Yvonne Lau of Mayway Herbs walks us through historical photos showing us how Chinese herbal medicine has evolved in the United States over the last 150 years.

What are now commonly referred to as “patent” medicines are prepared or manufactured Chinese herbal medicines, such as teapills and tablets, which have been made according to standard herbal formulas created hundreds and in some cases even thousands of years ago.

Chinese medicine has a long history in the US, even before the Chinese ever set foot in America. During America’s colonial period, Chinese tea, and herbs such as rhubarb, cinnamon, cardamon, and camphor crossed the ocean to the new world, just as Appalachian wild ginseng went east. White Americans learned about Traditional Chinese Medicine not only through the herbs they consumed, but also through European and American merchants, missionaries, and medical scientists who went to China, studied, and sometimes adopted Chinese therapeutic practices. Read on to learn more about the history of TCM in America.