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AgeVenture News Service 
As an East-West crossroads, Hong Kong is the perfect place to learn, first-hand, how Chinese
people battle stress and fatigue, valuable skills in today's fast-paced world. Ever wonder
how they do it? The Chinese have been unraveling the mysteries of longevity for centuries.
Here's what they have to say. The ingredients for a long life are Chinese Medicine, Healthy
Dining, Herbal Tea, Qigong, Tai Chi, and Acupoints Massage.
Chinese Medicine. Yin and Yang. Negative and Positive. Masculine and Feminine. All of life involves the balancing of opposing forces, according to the Chinese. When balance is disturbed in our bodies, our health suffers. To correct the balance, a herbalist will often prescribe a variety of roots, barks, twigs, seeds, and flowers. Of particular interest to herbalists is Hong Kong's Nam Pak Hong which is the center of the city's wholesale ginseng and medicinal-herb trade. Healthy Dining. For the Chinese, eating and health can never be separated. They eat to keep healthy and live long. Winter diets include exotic ingredients to keep warm and preserve energy. Every food item, from bamboo shoots to bananas to ginger, has its known properties of heating or cooling which balance the body's natural forces. Visitors to Hong Kong often visit a specialty tonic restaurant to enjoy a "tonic lunch" prepared with a variety of herbal ingredients. Herbal Tea. The art of tea drinking is quintessentially Chinese. Tea is drunk for health, and is poured as an offering to friends. It accompanies an everyday dim sum breakfast. The best way to learn about the many facets of this Chinese practice is to visit specialty tea shops or the popular Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware to learn the technique of proper tea brewing and sample choice potions. Qigong. Qi is the life force. It flows through everything, say the Chinese. And you can control your Qi. Qigong is an ancient form of exercise allowing one to direct the flow of the life force, restoring health and improving fitness. Learn the basics of channeling Qi from a Qigong Master who will demonstrate breathing exercises that supposedly cleanse the body and improve circulation of blood and Qi. Tai Chi. Every morning at sunrise, thousands of Hong Kong residents head for the tranquil parks, beaches and rolling hills to practice the ancient art of Tai Chi, also known as Chinese Shadow boxing (photo). This slow-motion ballet consists of gentle exercise through selected movements learned from a Tai Chi master. After working up an appetite, residents often head for a Chinese restaurant for refreshing tea and delicious dim sum. Acupoints Massage. Where did acupuncture originate? No one knows for sure. Whatever its origins in legend, centuries of trial and error have evolved into a refined and detailed clinical methodology. The Chinese believe that adding pressure to certain points on the body can enhance the circulation of Qi and blood. In Hong Kong, acupoint massage is as common a remedy as aspirin for many aches and pains. Visitors can check with their hotel concierge to partake of this ancient cure to enhance one's outlook on life. Here's the point. If you've got some time on your hands, a hankering for long life, and enough dough to go ... Hong Kong just might be the perfect destination. The Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) maintains a toll-free consumer hotline to answer questions about HKTA-sponsored tours that offer senior travel discounts. 1-800-282-4582. Graphic Credit: Hong Kong Tourist Association See related articles in the AgeVenture archives. New Form of T’ai Chi to Benefit Frail Elderly China Leads World Aging Trend America's Gray Liberation Breaks All Age Limits Saga Holidays Offers "Road Scholar" Travel Programs |