The inspirational life of Professor Man Fong Mei

Professor Man Fong Mei was born in the small village of Taishan in Guangdong, China in 1946 and spent his adolescent years living in Hong Kong. At the age of 16 he moved to London and studied Physics at Kings College, London. He was determined to dedicate himself to integrating into British life and married Swiss born, Monika Mei, and had three children. He became passionate about spreading ideas from his homeland to the West and founded EAST ASIA BOOKS & ARTS in London, selling books on East Asian art and philosophy.

With his scientific background, Professor Mei took a special interest in the field of medicine and channelled his passion for East-West exchange into the promotion of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in the UK. In 1972 he founded ACUMEDIC LTD to pioneer the sale of acupuncture equipment and academic books on the subject.

Professor Mei invented the world’s first disposable traditional acupuncture needle at a time when the practice of acupuncture with reusable needles began to generate controversy spurred by hepatitis B cross-infection and the risk of AIDS and HIV infections. This invention revolutionised Chinese Medicine. Professor Mei went on to design amongst the first micro-processor electro-acupuncture and TENS apparatuses that further changed the face of Chinese Medicine.

AcuMedic quickly became ‘the famous name in Chinese Medicine’, supplying acupuncturists worldwide. As the popularity of acupuncture in the West began to rise, Professor Mei found himself at the centre of an ever-growing market. His pioneering approach to modernising Chinese Medicine continued as he developed the innovative TCM Classic range of capsulated Chinese herbal extracts, systematically combining the most commonly used Chinese Medicine formulae into a convenient capsule for prescription.

In 1982, Professor Mei opened the world renowned ACUMEDIC CLINIC in London, offering clinical services to the general public. He was dedicated to offering people the highest standards of Chinese Medicine by sourcing only the best Professors from China and premium quality Chinese herbs. The clinic was an immediate success, attracting prestigious patients such as the late Princess Diana and other leading figures. It continues to be a flagship clinic for Chinese Medicine in Europe treating over 50,000 patients since opening.

Though a successful business man, Professor Mei’s true passion lay with education and bridging East and West. He became a visiting professor of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Professor of Integrative Medicine at the Guangxi Medical University as well as Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, involving himself in numerous research projects and clinical practices for nearly two decades. His clinical specialization included syndrome acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, TENS, laser-acupuncture, ear acupuncture and modern Chinese herbal pharmacology.

As a passionate integrator of medicine between East and West for over four decades, Professor Man Fong Mei was actively involved in many leading academic and clinical institutions pioneering for a global integrative model for medicine.

In 1992, he founded the Chinese Medical Institute and Register (CMIR, UK), in association with the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and leading academic institutions in China, dedicated to pushing forward higher standards in Chinese medicine and to offer a range of academic courses and qualifications in syndrome acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for doctors and healthcare professionals. Over 300 doctors and healthcare professionals have graduated from CMIR courses, providing a strong base for the future of authentic and forward thinking Chinese Medicine