Five acupuncture and tuina practitioners from Réunion underwent nearly two weeks of training at our hospital from September 17 to 27, 2019. Réunion is an island in the western Indian Ocean and an overseas department of France. Representatives including the President of the Réunion Chinese Friendship Association visited Beijing Massage Hospital in 2015 and 2018. During these visits, they were deeply impressed by the hospital's unique diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Subsequently, both parties gradually established cooperative plans for training of TCM professionals. This training marks the first TCM program jointly conducted by both parties. The five participants are members of the Réunion Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Association, a branch of the Réunion Chinese Friendship Association. Primarily engaged in acupuncture and TCM tuina in their home country, they engaged in in-depth exchanges with physicians from Beijing Massage Hospital during this training and systematically studied our hospital's specialized adult and pediatric tuina techniques, as well as acupuncture methods. They also shadowed clinical practitioners to gain hands-on experience, broadened their repertoire of treatment solutions, and achieved satisfactory outcomes.

At the conclusion of the training, Mr. Michel, training coordinator, Vice President of the Réunion Chinese Friendship Association, and President of the Réunion Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Association, stated that this training marked an excellent beginning. The Réunion Chinese Friendship Association will collaborate closely with Beijing Massage Hospital to continue implementing practical training programs, supporting the development of TCM in Réunion and enhancing the health of its residents through these practices.