Located in south-east Beijing, Xizhihe is the only traditional Chinese medicine hospital specializing in apitherapy in China. This discipline includes treatment with honey, but most memorable of all, it includes apipuncture, where needles are replaced by bee stings.

Located in south-east Beijing, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Xizhihe is the only institution specializing in apitherapy in China, with a particular specialization in apipuncture. This discipline consists of treating various ailments and diseases by stinging patients with bee stings following acupuncture points.

The arrival hall of the hospital is covered with panels that show in detail the origins and methods of this treatment. The reception is very cordial. We learn that apitherapy started as a prehistoric practice, as demonstrated by archaeological excavations carried out in the Shandong province of China. Until recently, beekeepers administered the treatment themselves, but in recent years, Chinese medicine has become interested in bee therapy products.

The Xizhihe hospital is one of the few in the world that owns hives. The 4 hives contain several tens of thousands bees that produce honey used in concoctions and provide valuable stings. "Scientific research has revealed that the venom secreted by bees has some medical virtues. It can treat including rheumatism and neurasthenia," explains Dr. Li Zhengqing, deputy director of the hospital.

Not for the heart-fainted

Just like with acupuncture, the administrators play with body energies (qi). Every point of the body corresponds to an energy channel. For example, a sting on the tibia is used to treat back problems. Before any treatment can start, it is necessary to pass allergy tests to verify that you don't have reaction to bee stings. If the tests are negative, it is advisable to come for at least three weekly sessions so that the treatment may be as effective as possible. It can last for weeks or even months depending on the severity of ailments.

Held with a clamp, the bee is stimulated until its self-defense mechanism kicks in and it stings the patient on the desired part of the body. The insect dies once it has stung the patient. Animal rights advocates should therefore abstain themselves. In fact, so should those who are too sensitive. I have tested a single sting, and I can say that the operation is far from painless, and is followed by itching and swelling.

That's when you can start to imagine those who must travel regularly to the hospital. One of them, on her third weekly visit, cannot contain a grimace of pain when the doctor presses a bee against her leg. The first of a dozen scheduled injections for this visit.

Since the beginning of his treatment, this patient has nevertheless seen a marked improvement in her physical condition. "I had no strength in my right arm. I was unable to lift anything. After the first meeting, I immediately felt better," she says while the doctor presses a new bee on the previously disinfected skin. At the end of the meeting, the practitioner lets a few minutes run by before removing the stings one by one.

Text: Edouard Beauchemin
Photos: Wang Zhuo
May 2008