Fourteen Generations of Tradition at Pang Shan Sanctum Acupuncture Clinic, But No Signboard

Hong Kong – There’s no sign advertising the services offered behind Choy Yau-king’s door. But the customers who are in-the-know also know the establishment has three rules. The first rule is that, after they enter one of the two bedrooms and lie down on the single mattress, the service they receive will be tailored to their individual needs. Rule number two is: cash only.

“If the treatments aren’t effective, you might as well close down your business,” said Choy, a 29-year-old acupuncturist at the Pang Shan Sanctum clinic. That is what he was taught 18 years ago, at the age of 11. Choy makes up half of the manpower at the modest clinic; the other half is from his mentor, instructor and boss – his father. Choy said the father-to-son tradition has also been with the family for a long time – over 400 years. A tradition that is likely to stay.

According to Choy, his ancestors first started the Pang Shan Sanctum clinic in 1587 in China and he is now the 14th generation to take up the physician role. Originally from Quanzhou of the Fujian province in China, Choy said his father has been ‘healing’ in this clinic since 1993 – the year his father migrated to Hong Kong. And years before that, he said his father also practiced western medicine in China, with credentials recognized only in mainland China.

The clinic, however, is anything but westernized. Hidden in To Kwa Wan, one of the most run-down districts on the Kowloon peninsula,  the only way to learn about the place is by word of mouth. Advertisements are nowhere to be found. The one sign that distinguishes the clinic from other units, in the dilapidated residential building, is a red sticker by the door that reads “Choy” in Chinese.

Despite the lack of marketing, however, business has been good. “A few years ago when the economy was at its peak, you would have to make a reservation days in advance,” said Choy as he rubbed a homemade herbal medicine onto a patient’s lower back. The medicine is also heated to help blood circulation for the acupuncture that is administered afterwards.

Jerry Cheung, a patient with chronic back pain, said his wife had learnt about the clinic from a former classmate. “This is my fourth visit,” said Cheung. “I was told that [Choy] works miracles and charges very reasonably.”

For a one-and-a-half hour acupuncture session, Choy and his father charge HK$220 per patient. Although that is a 10 percent jump from 2010, it is still relatively cheap. “Everything is pricier these days. We have to cover our costs,” Choy explained. “Most of the cost goes to the homemade medicine where a little bit of musk is added. It costs as much as ginseng these days.”

To provide a yardstick as to how much other clinics are charging, a 30-minute acupuncture session at the Hong Kong Acupuncture and Moxibustion Association (HKAMA) costs HK$350. A 15- to 45-minute consultation/treatment session at Dr. Claudia Ng’s clinic in Central costs anywhere from HK$600 to HK$1,000.

However, there is a catch. According to the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, there are now 6,245 registered Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong. Neither Choy’s nor his father’s name is on the list. In other words, under Hong Kong’s law, they are not registered physicians and there is technically no guarantee of their methods and skills. Since they’re unregistered, they can’t take credit cards nor give receipts for insurance reimbursements. Hence rule number two.

Customers are not exactly concerned, however.

“As long as [Choy] can help alleviate my back pain, I will always come back,” said Cheung.

Another customer, who identified herself as Mrs. Shum, said: “I brought my friend here today, she has been plagued by a shoulder problem, probably from typing too often.” Her friend has never tried acupuncture before but is open to any treatment.

Choy said there are “a lot of” these unregistered clinics in Hong Kong, and competition is “fierce.”

“Along this strip alone, there are ten or eleven similar clinics,” he said. “Not counting the four to five licensed ones at ground-level.”

Dr. Chan Ka Chak, chairman of the HKAMA and a registered Chinese medicine practitioner, said: “I believe there is market demand for [non-licensed acupuncturists] as they charge a much lower fee.”

Since 2000, the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong has made registration mandatory to become a licensed Chinese medicine physician.

“The government has introduced a five-year programme for these prospective doctors in order to standardize their qualifications. But for many unlicensed doctors who were already practicing, it’s impossible for them to take five years off to take the programme,” said Chan. “Many talented physicians go unnoticed because of that.”

Although lacking a license to practice in Hong Kong, Choy said he had no doubt his revenue was larger than many acupuncturists with license. “A few of [the licensed doctors] will refer patients to me,” said Choy. “Especially the complicated cases because these doctors don’t have the required skill set.”

Despite the high demand, Choy said assertively that he had never considered expanding. “To expand means we need extra manpower, which will compromise the quality of our treatments,” he said. “We are known for delivering sound treatments, and it will continue to be that way.”