Last Wednesday, I experienced traditional Chinese medicine, cupping. Cupping is when little glass cups are stuck to your back. There are different ways to attach said cups. For me, the cups were dipped in what smelled, or stunk, like bai jiu (白酒). Then the alcohol is lighted (or is it lit?), quickly put out, and quickly placed on your back. The flame sucks all the oxygen out of the cup, which causes the suction. Your skin is sucked into the cup, so your entire back skin is stretched. You lie there for a few minutes while the suction sucks out all of your bad toxins. I didn't feel any toxins being expunged, but my back did feel warm. After a few minutes of back skin stretching, the cups are taken off. One of the 'side effects' of cupping is the marking. The skin sucked into the cup turns red. Since I am very pale, these marks are more pronounced. But the marks don't hurt, at least in my case.
I thought it interesting to mention that the place I experienced this traditional Chinese treatment was in a very Western part of the city, Shekou. At Shekou, you see entire Western families walking about.
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