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ImpressionOntheFilmGuaShaTreatmentPersonintheUnitedStates,itisverydifficulttoblendintolocalculture.IreadinthecircletobeoptimisticaboutthefilmGuaSha,afterthegreatestfeeling.Withtheadvanceofthescreen,theinterpretationofthestory,anAmericanofChinesesocietynowranthefamilyencountered.Afteryearsofhardwork,XuDatong,aChineseimmigranttotheUS,hasfinallyachievedsuccessasanoutstandingvideogamedesigner.Withhispromisingcareerandlovingfamily,hefeelshehasbecomeatrueAmerican.Datong’sfathercomesoverfromChina,andusesatraditionalChinesemedicaltechnique,calledguasha,totreatDatong`sson,Dennis.Unexpectedly,anAmericandoctorthinksthebruisesonDennis`backleftbytheguashatreatmentaresignsofchildabuse,andthefingerispointedatDatong.TheTreatmentisamovingportrayaloftheenormousgulfsbetweenculturesandtheirpossiblerepercussionbetweenculturesandtheirpossiblerepercussions.Thefilm“GuaSha-theTreatment”reflectsthedifferenceofvalueandcultureviewsbetweenwesternsocietyandorientsociety.ChinasocietyhasbeenreceivingimpactofConfucianismforthousandsyears.Confucianismisknownaspayingregardtohumanrelationshipandethic.Piety,courtesyandloyalismaremostimportantethic.ButinWesternculturewhichismoreemphasisonindividualism,independenceandequality.Soconflictsincultureandvalueareunavoidable.Theseconflictshaveshowninthestory.InChineseculture,physicalpunishmentiscommonlyusedbyChinesefamily.Theythinkthiswillhelptogrowingup.Butinwesternsocietyitisabsolutelyforbidden.Anyabusingchildrenwasviewedasillegalconduct.Astoshowrespecttofriends,DaTongXupunishedhisownsonphysicallyinfrontoffriends.Butthiswasmisinterpretedasviolencebyhisforeignfriends.ThisisamisunderstandinginculturebetweenEastandWest.Howtoavoidthetragedyofthestory?WemuststrengthentheEast-Westculturalexchangeandlearning,andonlywithrespecttodifferentculturesandinclusivewillitbepossibletoavoidthecultureandvaluesofconflict.GuaSha,knownaskerikinIndonesia,CaoGioinVietnam(seeHarveyKeitel'sTheThreeSeasons)andkhoudlaminLaosisalegitimateandeffectivetherapy.InAsiaitisusuallydonewithacoin,Chinesesoupspoon,sliceofwaterbuffalohorn,orevenasliceofginger.AsimplecapwitharoundededgeisquitegoodtouseandavailableinmosthomesintheWest.Itwasnotcommonlydonewithwood,butifsmoothandtherightedgeitcouldbe.ThereisateachingtextinEnglishcalledGuaSha.ATraditionalTechniqueforModernPractice,andateachingvideo:GuaSha:Step-by-Step,byAryaNielsen.IfanacupuncturististrainedinClassicalChinesemedicine,theywilldothistechniqueintheirpracticeforpain,andforacuteorchronicillness.GuaShaisatreatmentintraditionalorientalmedicineinwhichawoodenboardrepeatedlyslidesacrossthepatient'sacupuncture/acupressure/massagepoints.Itworksinsimilarprincipleslikethatofacupuncture/acupressure/massage.Thismethodwouldinevitablyleavebruiseontheskin,andthestorybeginshere,whenthevisitinggrandpawhodoesnotspeakanyEnglishusedthistraditionalpracticetotreatthegrandsonwhenbothsonanddaughter-in-lawwereatwork.Sadly,inUS,thisisastorythatrepeatsitselfmanytimesintheareawheremanyorientalimmigrantslivesandalloftheseareduetosimplemisunderstandingbetweencultures.