A Chinese doctor from the 27th batch of the Chinese medical team to Tunisia provides free acupuncture treatment for teachers and students at the Confucius Institute of the University of Carthage in Tunis, Tunisia, Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)

During the services at the Confucius Institute of the university, Chinese doctors performed acupuncture or cupping treatments for those under different health conditions.

After receiving acupuncture treatment, a retired teacher who gave his name as Zuhair and suffers from cervical spondylosis, said he has felt better and hoped to receive further treatments.

This was the first time for many of the students to experience how the thin acupuncture needles work, and they were very curious about the Chinese doctors who quickly inserted needles into patients and made them feel better.

Ding Yang, director of the Confucius Institute, said that the services were an opportunity to demonstrate traditional Chinese culture and TCM to students who study Chinese language at the university.

The services attracted a lot of students from the university. "Many of them have heard of TCM and are very interested in it, and today is the first time they have seen TCM in real," Ding said.

The staff from the Chinese team hope to help more Tunisian people before they return to China in two months, said Xu Zexuan, head of the team.

The acupuncturists of the Chinese medical team in Tunisia have been working at Tunisia's Hospital Mongi Slim for decades, and it annually treats more than 10,000 patients. ■

A Chinese doctor from the 27th batch of the Chinese medical team to Tunisia provides free acupuncture treatment for teachers and students at the Confucius Institute of the University of Carthage in Tunis, Tunisia, Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)