A doctor applies a sanfu moxibustion to a child at the pediatrics department of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Wednesday. With the start of the sanfu period — the hottest days of summer in the traditional Chinese calendar — hospitals in Beijing have started offering the seasonal traditional Chinese medicine therapy. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY

The three hottest stretches of the Chinese lunar calendar are known as sanfu, and this year they run from Wednesday through August 24. In TCM theory, these days offer the ideal window to drive out excess cold from the body and fend off winter illnesses ahead of time.

Sanfu moxibustion — which involves applying warm herbal plasters to specific acupuncture points — is the best-known example of this approach and is widely used for respiratory conditions.

Jiang Zhihui, deputy director of the outpatient department at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that as of Tuesday, about 7,000 people had booked appointments for sanfu moxibustion at the hospital — on par with last year and slightly up from 2024.

He added that the TCM principle of "treating winter diseases in summer" is now being rolled out in a variety of forms to address different medical needs.

According to Jiang, this year, the hospital has pooled resources from eight clinical specialties, including respiratory medicine, cardiology, gynecology and pediatrics, to create a comprehensive treatment system that goes beyond herbal plasters to include TCM formulas, herbal balm massage, and other therapies.

Meng Meng, a physician in the hospital's gastroenterology department, said that conditions tied to coldness or qi deficiency are generally considered suitable for summer intervention.

Conditions treated by her department include chronic stomach discomfort and diarrhea. She noted that her team now offers not only sanfu moxibustion, but also regular moxibustion and hot compress packs during the summer heat, combined with herbal decoctions, to achieve optimal results.

"We've also seen more and more young people coming in for sanfu moxibustion and other TCM treatments to relieve stomach issues, likely because of their heavy consumption of cold drinks, spicy food and other unhealthy lifestyle habits," she said.

Meng Guangsong, a physician in the hospital's respiratory department, said that in addition to the usual sanfu moxibustion patients, such as those with chronic bronchitis, asthma, or frequent colds, there has been a marked rise in people with allergic conditions seeking relief through this therapy, including children and a growing number of younger adults.

He also pointed out that TCM therapies like sanfu moxibustion are best for managing chronic conditions and generally have no adverse effects. However, acute symptoms such as severe coughing are better treated with TCM formulas or Western medicine.

Meng added that these therapies take time to show results, and patients should stick closely to their treatment plans.