to the individual's body to locate the patient's unique meridian points in order to place the needles correctly.
As ancient as the practice is, acupuncture remained virtually unknown to the Western world because of China's historic isolation from Western civilization. Geographically remote, separated from Europe by thousands of miles of oceans and nearly impassable mountain ranges, China remained an exotic, distant destination, reached only by a few of the more adventurous explorers, who returned with rare spices, beautiful silks, and tales of a remarkably civilized but unquestionably alien culture. China's size also made gaining a foothold difficult for foreigners; unlike tiny Japan, which successfully resisted Western overtures until Commodore Perry's historic landings forced the island nation to open trade with Europe in the 19th century, China was too big a nation to be pressured to deal with the West. The powerful dynasties that had ruled for centuries finally loosed their hold on China during the time that Japan was entering the modern age; ne
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