Nowadays, traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is becoming more and more popular around the world. A government report says that people in 183 countries and areas are now using it. The famous American swimmer Michael Phelps, an Olympic champion, has ever visited a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and had “cupping” (拔罐).

Massage (按摩) and acupuncture (针灸) are two other important kinds of TCM. Chinese massage can make you relaxed and fresh. In acupuncture, doctors put long needles (针) into the patients’ heads, arms...It takes away pain, though the look is funny.

TCM is an important part of Chinese culture. The earliest medical classic in China, Huangdi’s Classic on Medicine, came out more than 2,000 years ago. The book is about the relationship between man and nature. In Chinese culture, yin and yang are two parts of nature. Nature keeps balanced if yin and yang work well together. The human body needs such balance, too. TCM helps to do that. Especially, for some health problems, a doctor of TCM will not give you medicine. Instead, he may give you just a food plan and right ways to eat.

TCM thinks the correct ways of eating: Sit down to eat. While eating, turn off the TV and get away from the work desk. Eat seasonal foods. Do not miss any of the three meals. Also, get your body moving often, just as the saying goes, “Running water is never stale.”

Do you know anyone born in the Year of the Tiger? What’s their personality like? Are they brave, strong and tenacious (坚韧的)? If so, then they are a typical “tiger”.

In the Chinese culture, tigers are considered the king of all animals. They mean power, energy and protection. Tiers are regarded as fearless animals, so that’s why in China you can see pictures of tigers on the walls of houses to keep away danger.

Tigers have an important cultural meaning not just in China, but across Asia. As they mostly live in Asia, for many people in the West, they have become a cultural symbol of Eastern countries. For example, strong economies (经济体) in the East - Singapore, South Korea, China’s Hong Kong and Taiwan - were called “The Four Asian Tigers”. In the book Life of Pi, Canadian writer Yann Martel chose a Bengal tiger as the partner for Indian boy Pi on his adventure in the Pacific Ocean.

In the West, ▲ . A famous phrase is: “Eye of the Tiger”, which means power and strength. In English, if you want someone to calm down, you can Say to them, “easy tiger”.

Tigers are also one of my favorite animals. I first learned about the beauty of tigers as a child, while watching animal programs. If you ask my mom, she’ll tell you that my favourite toy while growing up was my toy tiger, which I still treasure dearly to this day. As a young animal lover, I felt so sad that they were in danger and I wanted to help protect them.

Just like tigers serve as a symbol of protection in the Chinese culture, we can only hope that in the Year of the Tiger more people can learn about tigers and help protect them better.