Exclusive Interview with Dr. Jiang Yi and Dr. Wang Qing: Pioneering a New Era of Traditional Chinese Medicine in New Zealand
Special Correspondent: He Deguang

Preface: A Southern Hemisphere Success Story

It was a bright spring in October in New Zealand’s southern hemisphere. Filled with joy, we flew from Boston in the northern hemisphere to Christchurch to visit the renowned couple, Dr. Jiang Yi and Dr. Wang Qing, both distinguished practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). We were privileged to tour their two farms and four TCM clinics. Witnessing their remarkable professional achievements, we were not only filled with admiration but also curiosity about the path that led them there. Due to our short stay in Christchurch, we couldn’t have a long, in-depth conversation. Fortunately, a few days later, we met again at the annual conference of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies in Sydney, where we conducted this exclusive interview during a break between sessions. Dr. Jiang Yi earned both his Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China. With decades of dedicated clinical experience, he has also been deeply involved in the research and development of new herbal medicine products, skillfully integrating traditional wisdom with modern science—embodying the true spirit of a scholar who bridges theory and practice.

Dr. Wang Qing, who received formal training in traditional Chinese medicine, was a senior lecturer and chief physician at the First Military Medical University in Guangzhou before immigrating to New Zealand in 1999. With more than 40 years of clinical experience, she is highly regarded for her expertise in women’s health and for her gentle, meticulous care, which has earned the trust of countless patients.

Through this visit and interview, I was deeply moved by the story of this remarkable couple—a vivid portrait of diligence and perseverance. In their professional lives, they support and complement each other; in their philosophy, they resonate in harmony. With pragmatism and sincerity, they have forged their own path in medicine and set an inspiring example for the development of Chinese medicine overseas.

Below is the edited transcript of that conversation.

Dr. Jiang Yi and Dr. Wang Qing were interviewed.

Part One: Crossing the Ocean in Search of Opportunity

He Deguang: It’s wonderful to see you both again here at the World Federation conference in Sydney. We all know that you’ve achieved great success in your TCM careers. To begin, I’d like to ask—back when you both held prestigious positions in China, what inspired you to leave everything behind and come to New Zealand?

Dr. Jiang: After graduating in 1988 with a master’s degree in clinical acupuncture from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, I began teaching acupuncture at the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, First Military Medical University in Guangzhou. In late 1989, my wife, Dr. Wang, transferred from Lanzhou to join me there. While working in the acupuncture departments in both Beijing and Guangzhou, I noticed that many Western doctors who were preparing to study abroad would spend a short period learning acupuncture. That made me realize how popular acupuncture must be overseas. I began to dream of promoting Chinese medicine abroad, gaining new experiences, and perhaps finding opportunities to advance my acupuncture career. Around that time, my friend, Professor Su Zhihong, invited me to give lectures in New Zealand. I quickly fell in love with the country—and eventually decided to stay.

He Deguang: Coming to New Zealand for the first time, knowing no one and being in a completely different environment, must have been extremely challenging. How did you overcome those difficulties?

Dr. Jiang: In the beginning, I was fortunate to have the help of Professor Su and her husband, Mr. Yao—they were truly my benefactors. The biggest challenge was the language barrier. Although I could read English fairly well, my listening and speaking skills were poor—I could barely understand or communicate—and I had to pass the IELTS exam. With hard work and persistence, I was lucky enough to succeed. Financially, I came alone at first, while my wife and son remained in China, so the pressure was manageable.

Part Two: Building a Career Abroad and the Power of Family Support

He Deguang: What specific challenges did you encounter during the early stages of starting your business in New Zealand?

Dr. Jiang: The main challenge was financial. Fortunately, my first employer—a clinic owner—gave me tremendous support. Initially, she offered a 40-60 income split (I would keep 60%), but I insisted on a 50-50 arrangement. Luck was on my side: just three months after opening my own clinic, patients began pouring in. I owe this success to the excellent acupuncture training I received at Guang’anmen Hospital under the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, which ensured strong treatment results. Within six months, my patient numbers grew rapidly.

New Zealand’s healthcare system was also a great help. Certified acupuncturists could treat injury-related cases covered by national insurance. I worked from morning until night, seven days a week, and soon earned my first “bucket of gold.” Within a year, I took out a loan to buy property in an area surrounded by Western medical clinics and established my own practice there. My goal was clear: not to let the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences lose face, but to open a high-standard TCM clinic in a Western medical hub—to set an example! That became our first clinic. Of course, none of this success would have been possible without my wife’s tremendous support back home.

Dr. Wang: Yes, financial pressure was indeed our biggest problem at first. Back in China, we both had well-paying jobs and lived comfortably as a family of three. After he went abroad, I had to support our entire family on my single income. It was extremely tight—I borrowed from almost every friend I could. About a year later, he finally started sending money home to repay the debts. Sometimes I’d receive $5,000 one day and spend it all the next day paying back loans—then be broke again. Every acupuncture needle and every packet of herbal medicine he used was purchased by me in China and shipped to him, 20 kilograms at a time. We carried on like that for three years, until I was finally able to join him in New Zealand.

Part Three: Clinical Differences and the Inspiration of Lavender

He Deguang: New Zealand’s geography and seasons are quite different from those of China. What similarities and differences have you noticed in your patients’ conditions?

Dr. Jiang: I’ve always had great confidence in my clinical skills. I find that New Zealanders, in general, have stronger constitutions than Chinese patients, so treatment outcomes tend to be quicker and more effective. Because New Zealand is close to the Antarctic, the climate is cold and damp. Consequently, conditions like rhinitis, asthma, and various pain syndromes are quite common—but they also respond very well to treatment.

Another difference lies in the length of treatment sessions. In China, each patient session usually lasts 15 to 20 minutes, but here it’s about an hour per session. This could be due to local clinic norms, or perhaps economic and psychological factors (laughs). In China, patients often receive daily acupuncture, but here most people can only come once or twice a week. Since local patients’ constitutions differ from those in China, a longer single session produces comparable effects to five shorter sessions in China. As for herbal medicine, treatment duration doesn’t make much difference. Eczema, however, is particularly common here—something Dr. Wang can speak more about.

Dr. Wang: Yes, patients here had very little prior exposure to Chinese medicine or acupuncture, so they come with a sense of deep trust and expectation. Unlike in China, where patients have many treatment options, people here often come through personal referrals and believe strongly in you once they do.

Also, New Zealanders—especially men—tend to wear shorts and slippers all year round, which leads to many cases of arthritis. The country’s high production and consumption of dairy products also contribute to an increase in eczema and other phlegm-damp-related conditions. Disease patterns are closely linked to local lifestyle habits. I’ve even seen patients whose conditions improved after leaving New Zealand, only to relapse upon returning. I’ve experienced this myself as well.

He Deguang: Do you use any unique treatment methods?

Dr. Jiang: I don’t use electroacupuncture; I rely solely on traditional fine-needle techniques. Westerners value natural therapies, and since their Zong Qi (ancestral energy) tends to be abundant, the effects are excellent. My graduate research focused on moxibustion for herpes zoster, and I found that it was highly effective for postherpetic neuralgia—though I use it less frequently now.

Dr. Wang: I use moxibustion extensively for infertility. We solved the problem of moxa smoke by installing an exhaust system, and most patients are comfortable with it—only a few dislike the smell. Some even love the “snake moxibustion” treatment along the back. Although it’s relatively expensive, patients are happy to pay for it and usually come once a month.

Dr. Jiang: Over the years, one of my biggest discoveries has been the remarkable healing power of lavender essential oil—especially for patients in New Zealand, where the cold and damp climate causes frequent colds and coughs. Previously, using only acupuncture and herbs, it took one to three weeks to cure these illnesses, which was still quite good. But after incorporating lavender essential oil, the results became even more impressive—patients recovered within a few days. Ironically, our income decreased because treatment courses became shorter!

Part Four: An Unexpected Turn — The Lavender Farm

He Deguang: That’s fascinating! How did you come to start running a lavender farm?

Dr. Jiang: It was actually quite unexpected. I’ve always seen myself as a scholar—someone devoted to research and teaching. I never imagined I’d end up managing a farm in New Zealand. At first, my wife didn’t support the idea at all.

I had suffered from recurrent mouth ulcers for nearly forty years, resistant to both Chinese and Western treatments, flaring up almost every month. One day, I happened to learn that a lavender farm was for sale. Out of curiosity, I visited what was then the largest lavender farm in New Zealand. After the tour, the owner gave me a small bottle of lavender essential oil.

Lavender isn’t a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, but it’s known for its calming effects—and substances with sedative properties often have some analgesic (pain-relieving) action as well. I wondered if applying the oil directly to my mouth ulcers might help. I had tried countless topical remedies before—Xi Gua Shuang (Watermelon Frost), Bing Peng San, propolis, hormone creams—but none worked.

To my astonishment, when I applied the lavender oil, the pain disappeared almost instantly—within 2 or 3 seconds, about 80–90% of the pain was gone—and the ulcers healed soon after.

At that time, the elderly farm owner had been trying unsuccessfully to sell the property for a long time. He had decided to give up, sell off the equipment, and even burn the lavender fields to convert the land into pasture. I thought that would be a terrible waste, so I made up my mind to buy the farm. Initially, I planned to hire someone to manage it, but after a few years of trying, I realized it wouldn’t work—I had to run it myself.

Afterward, I conducted some research and found that lavender not only has analgesic but also mild anesthetic properties, along with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antifungal effects. In the West, lavender is mostly used in aromatherapy, not for mucosal or oral applications. Since it has antiviral effects, I began using it to treat colds and coughs—patients recovered within one to three days. My chronic pharyngitis also healed completely after several months of using it.

Dr. Wang: After we bought the farm, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We produced large quantities of lavender essential oil sprays and distributed them to the local community for free. They proved very helpful for preventing and alleviating COVID symptoms, and we gained a great deal of clinical experience from that.

Dr. Jiang: I myself contracted COVID but fully recovered within ten days using only the oil. Many of our friends and patients also recovered without taking any Western medicines—just by using lavender essential oil.

Dr. Wang: We’ve found that there are over twenty varieties of lavender, and product quality varies greatly. Each year, we send our essential oils to university laboratories for component analysis. Our oil consistently ranks among the highest in quality, with extremely low allergenicity—making it safe even for oral use, unlike most other essential oils. The first lavender oil used for toothpaste originated in Russia, which inspired us to confidently use it internally for therapeutic purposes. Years of clinical results have confirmed both its safety and efficacy.

He Deguang: That’s truly fascinating. You’ve expanded lavender’s use beyond aromatherapy and pioneered its application in oral treatments. Have you developed any other innovative uses for it?

Dr. Jiang: Yes, my wife and I have worked on several product innovations. Lavender has a history of thousands of years and is known as the “King of Herbs,” traditionally used as a spice—added to fish or meat dishes. Lavender essential oil was the first essential oil ever distilled in the West; in ancient Rome, people added it to bathwater, which later evolved into lavender perfumes and beyond.

After discovering its analgesic effect, we analyzed the lavender plant and found it similar to Huo Xiang (Agastache) in Chinese medicine—it regulates Qi, harmonizes the stomach, dispels dampness, and releases exterior pathogens. Thus, it’s effective against wind-cold conditions. We’ve also experimented with using the stems and leaves of the plant.

My wife mainly develops lavender-based skincare and wellness products, while I focus on medicinal applications. We’ve expanded its use to treat toothaches, soft tissue pain, gastrointestinal issues such as gastritis, enteritis, vomiting, hemorrhoids, and anal fissures—all with promising results.

Dr. Wang: It also promotes scar healing. I once treated a cancer patient who had a large postoperative scar from a kidney removal. The scar was numb and painful. After two months of applying lavender oil, the redness, swelling, and pain completely disappeared. So, lavender also has properties that soften and disperse hardness.

Our advantage is that we have our own farm and products, so we can freely experiment and offer them to patients. Since high-quality essential oil is expensive, most practitioners can’t use it as generously as we do. That has allowed us to explore lavender’s broad clinical applications within TCM.

As for other skincare products—like eye cream, hair conditioner, and soap—we use our own lavender oil as the raw ingredient and outsource manufacturing to professional companies. To ensure quality, the costs are very high, so these products are essentially non-profit for us.

Jiang Yi and his wife’s lavender farm

Part Five: The Chain Clinic Experiment and Future Prospects

He Deguang: You currently operate several clinics. Could you share your experience in trying to establish TCM chain clinics overseas?

Dr. Jiang: Our original vision was to open a series of high-quality TCM clinics across the South Island of New Zealand and eventually expand throughout the country. I’ve been in New Zealand for nearly 30 years now. During the first 20 years, we experimented with that idea—we opened six clinics at one point, but now only four remain, managed solely by the two of us. Unfortunately, our dream of establishing a successful TCM chain has not materialized. After acquiring the lavender farm, we decided to stop expanding further.

I’ve reflected deeply on why the chain concept didn’t succeed. Over the years, we hired six TCM practitioners in hopes of building a network. For the first two years, we invested heavily—helping them secure immigration work visas, paying their salaries, and assisting with residency and language issues. Financially, it was a loss for us. But after two years, once they obtained permanent residency, they all chose to leave.

There were probably two main reasons. First, it was my own shortcoming—I’m not a good manager and failed to retain them. Second, the threshold for opening a clinic in New Zealand is quite low. As long as one has residency and a license, anyone can start their own practice. In this context, building a chain brand is extremely difficult, because creating a TCM brand overseas is far more challenging than in China.

Dr. Wang: Yes, under New Zealand’s medical system, if an acupuncturist treats a trauma-related patient, they can directly claim about 79 NZD per treatment from the national insurance company, plus additional fees for other services. The income is quite good. Naturally, most practitioners prefer to open their own clinics rather than work for someone else and split their earnings.

He Deguang: Finally, how do you see the future of traditional Chinese medicine in New Zealand?

Dr. Jiang: I’m an optimist. I truly believe the future of TCM in New Zealand—and indeed the world—is very bright. The efficacy of TCM is undeniable, especially since acupuncture has no side effects. In both Australia and New Zealand, TCM has already been legally recognized through national legislation. Overall, I’ve never personally felt any discrimination in terms of professional status.

More than a decade ago, reports indicated that 75% of Western medical doctors in New Zealand acknowledged acupuncture’s effectiveness. Many Western family physicians and specialists I know personally often refer their patients to us.

Dr. Wang: That’s true. However, many TCM practitioners here focus solely on running their own clinics. If more of them would step out, communicate with Western doctors, and engage with the wider community, it would greatly enhance the social standing of TCM professionals.

Dr. Jiang: As for research, aside from the NIH in the United States, I haven’t heard of other Western countries providing national funding for TCM studies. I hope that will change in the future. Personally, I’d like to research New Zealand’s native medicinal plants—for instance, exploring the therapeutic potential of the tea tree and integrating it into the Chinese materia medica system.

I’ve also founded the New Zealand Institute of Chinese Medicine Research, with the hope of fostering collaboration and academic exchange with colleagues around the world. In short, I’m confident that the future of TCM is bright and full of promise!

He Deguang: Thank you very much, Dr. Jiang and Dr. Wang, for this insightful interview. Your valuable experiences and perspectives will surely inspire and benefit TCM practitioners worldwide.