Kishvarov Amirdzhon, a 29-year-old from the Tajik capital Dushanbe, stands out among his peers in the Central Asian country as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as China's time-honored medical practice continues to win foreign hearts across the world.
Kishvarov fell in love with Chinese culture, captivated by Chinese martial arts and kung fu stars when he was in middle school. He gave himself the Chinese name Li Xiaolong, which is the same as the Chinese name of the legendary kung fu star, Bruce Lee.
The Tajik youth is currently pursuing a master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine in east China's Jiangsu Province.
"My name is Li Xiaolong, from Tajikistan. I'm currently a second-year graduate student at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine," Kishvarov told China Global Television Network (CGTN) in a recent interview.
Kishvarov said while practicing TCM, he often finds himself confronted with not only challenges inherent in the field, but also mixed reactions from Chinese patients because of his foreign nationality.
"Some patients see a doctor from Tajikistan and think 'A foreigner? Can you really practice?' Others are really impressed that a foreigner can do this," he said, adding that questions like this have never made him doubt his career choice.
After years of studies in China, his skills have been praised by Chinese patients.
"Doctor Xiaolong is very skilled, as skilled as his Chinese peers. He's meticulous, and I feel great after his treatments," said a patient who recently sought TCM treatment from Kishvarov.
He has also developed a deep understanding of TCM, which aims to identify and treat the root cause of an imbalance, rather than the symptoms.
"TCM's main theory is based on the functions of your main internal organs. It treats the root of your problem. For example, if your eyes are red, it may be a liver issue. It targets the source, not just symptoms," Kishvarov said.
This is Kishvarov's 10th year studying and practicing traditional Chinese medicine. In 2015, he went to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine to study acupuncture and Tuina (push and pinch) massage. After graduation, he returned to Dushanbe and opened his own TCM clinic. Then, in 2023, he returned to China for advanced studies.
Kishvarov is a diligent learner of the Chinese language and used to participate in a Chinese proficiency competition for foreign secondary school students. But he said being fluent in Chinese alone is far from enough to acquire the skills of a professional TCM doctor.
"Learning Chinese is key to learning TCM. You can't grasp it through English. You need to be able to read ancient medical texts. It was a big challenge for me. If you don't understand, you have to learn it yourself. Classroom content alone isn't enough," he said.
At the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Kishvarov studies under the mentorship of Doctor Zhang Jianbin, vice president of the Jiangsu Provincial Second Chinese Medicine Hospital.
"Xiaolong is diligent and eager to learn. He also has a deep love for Chinese culture. After he finishes his studies, he will definitely bring Chinese medicine back to Tajikistan to serve the local people. At the same time, he'll bring Chinese culture back as well," Zhang said.
In the future, Kishvarov said, he hopes to bring TCM to more countries and let more people benefit from this ancient Chinese medical practice.
Tajik young man devoted to promoting traditional Chinese medicine
