【Green Energy Finance Research Center, College of Social Sciences】

In order to build a sustainable Taiwan, the Ministry of Science and Technology held the "Green Energy Technology Innovation and Development Strategy Forum" on March 28 at National Cheng Kung University. The Green Energy Finance Research Center at NCCU participated in the event as a co-organizer. The Center's director, Li-Fang Chou, along with Sung-Yen Huang, the director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Changhua Christian Hospital, delivered keynote speeches advocating for "Urban Acupuncture to Drive Urban Green Energy Development and the Green Economy." They used Freiburg, Germany, known as the "Solar City of Europe," as an example, analyzing Freiburg's green map and green meridians with the concept of urban acupuncture. Their innovative ideas sparked widespread interest and lively discussions.

The concept of urban acupuncture is still in its nascent stage in Taiwan but has gradually been applied in urban design and renewal abroad. Sung-Yen Huang and Li-Fang Chou are actively promoting urban acupuncture, drawing from the deep wisdom of traditional Chinese acupuncture, which was listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. Chinese acupuncture has become a global trend, and the goal is to create social value from this tradition. By applying acupuncture principles to public governance, urban acupuncture can help address ecological and environmental degradation, promote urban regeneration, and drive green energy development.

Sung-Yen Huang, a long-time researcher of Chinese acupuncture, passionate about the land, has become Taiwan's first doctor devoted to the theory and practice of urban acupuncture. He humbly explained the evolution of acupuncture thinking from traditional Chinese medicine to urban acupuncture. Huang described how acupuncture works by stimulating acupuncture points on the human body to improve energy flow, harmonize the body's functions, and treat diseases. In the process, two methods are used: needling (inserting fine needles into acupuncture points) and moxibustion (burning moxa on specific points to stimulate healing). These treatments are combined and called acupuncture.

Sung-Yen Huang further explained that urban acupuncture applies Chinese acupuncture methods to cities, treating the city as an organic living entity. The city undergoes diagnosis through four traditional diagnostic methods (observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking), along with collecting symptoms from social, economic, and ecological aspects, identifying issues, diagnosing causes, and prescribing effective treatments.

Huang emphasized that urban acupuncture focuses on selecting key points along the city's development path. These urban nodes are like acupuncture points on the human body. By treating a small range of key nodes, the treatment effect gradually spreads to surrounding areas, leading to large-scale urban transformation and regeneration. Huang believes that urban acupuncture is highly cost-effective in public policy promotion, as it does not require expensive, time-consuming city-wide reconstruction. Instead, treatment can begin with localized interventions at key urban nodes, which will eventually have a broad impact across the entire society.

To enhance public understanding of the urban acupuncture operation model, Huang and Li-Fang Chou conducted a case analysis and published a paper titled "Building a Green City with Acupuncture: Freiburg's Sustainable Preservation Method" in the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Energy Report in March. The publication widely spread the social benefits of urban acupuncture. Freiburg, known as the "green city," has set a goal to become a carbon-neutral city by 2050, using 100% renewable energy. Observing Freiburg's green map, one can see clear green meridians with 33 green acupuncture points distributed across the city's main areas.

Huang and Li-Fang Chou analyzed Freiburg, identifying three main issues: renewable energy, green architecture, and green transportation. They outlined treatment methods and prescriptions for each issue. For renewable energy, the emphasis was on promoting solar energy, with solar panels installed on rooftops and walls of schools, sports fields, parking lots, exhibition halls, and various buildings. Additionally, local natural resources, such as rivers, were used for hydropower, and wind turbines were installed in the Black Forest to generate wind energy. Biomass energy was also developed, turning waste into green gold. For green architecture, Freiburg introduced low-energy housing construction standards, along with solar energy and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Passive and positive-energy houses were encouraged to reduce carbon footprints in building construction and operation. Finally, in green transportation, the focus was on reducing urban traffic, encouraging walking, cycling, carpooling, and using public transportation. Streetcars were also installed to connect major city roads, reducing the frequency of private car use.

Through comprehensive observation, Huang and Li-Fang Chou concluded that Freiburg has successfully opened the city's green meridians through the application of green acupuncture points. The city's green innovation has driven the growth of the green industry, generating 650 million euros in value annually. More than 25,000 international experts visit Freiburg each year to learn from its success. Freiburg's experience has attracted global attention and offers valuable lessons. In Taiwan, urban acupuncture is gradually being incorporated into government policies, such as Taipei City's urban regeneration projects, New Taipei City's urban and rural appearance transformation, and Taichung City's green beautification of vacant lots. Green meridian cities are beginning to take shape, such as the creation of Taiwan's first green energy industry zone in Changhua County and urban regeneration efforts in Taichung City's Liuchuan and Green River areas.

Is urban acupuncture truly the miracle cure for urban regeneration?

Huang and Li-Fang Chou emphasize that for urban acupuncture to work, the true essence of the practice must be understood. The city should be viewed as an organic entity, with its problems diagnosed, its future sustainable development considered, and citizens actively engaged. Through localized innovation and comprehensive planning, appropriate acupuncture points are chosen, and urban acupuncture is applied to stimulate the city's transformation and regeneration, ultimately creating a sustainable living environment that is both suitable for human life and friendly to nature.

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Original Source: Green Energy Finance Research Center
Li-Fang Chou & Sung-Yen Huang (2017). "Urban Acupuncture in Freiburg: Sustainable Preservation Methods," Taipower Monthly, Issue 653, 38-41.