TCM Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Foods and Recipes for Chronic Pain

Last updated: April 2026

This is food therapy information, not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or health routine, especially if you have chronic pain conditions, autoimmune disorders, or are taking anti-inflammatory medications.

Quick Answer

Traditional Chinese Medicine does not use the word "inflammation" the way Western medicine does — but it has been treating inflammatory conditions for millennia under different names. In TCM, chronic inflammation maps to patterns of "heat" (re), "dampness" (shi), "blood stagnation" (xue yu), and "toxic heat" (re du). Chronic pain, in particular, is understood as a blockage — the famous TCM principle "bu tong ze tong" (不通则痛) means "where there is no free flow, there is pain." TCM food therapy for chronic pain focuses on clearing heat, resolving dampness, moving blood, and opening the channels so qi and blood flow freely again. Key anti-inflammatory foods include yi yi ren (Job's tears), jiang huang (turmeric), sheng jiang (ginger), lv dou (mung beans), ku gua (bitter melon), xue li (snow pear), and bai he (lily bulb). Below you will find detailed recipes, TCM theory, and practical dietary frameworks drawn from Chinese-language sources (translated from Chinese).

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How TCM Understands Inflammation and Chronic Pain

Western medicine defines inflammation as an immune response — white blood cells, cytokines, prostaglandins. TCM describes the same phenomenon through its own framework, which has been refined over more than 2,000 years.

The TCM Inflammation Framework

Heat (热/re): The most direct TCM correlate to inflammation. When heat accumulates in the body, it produces redness, swelling, warmth, and pain — the four cardinal signs of inflammation. Heat can be "excess" (from external pathogens or internal excess) or "deficiency" (from insufficient yin failing to cool the body).

Dampness (湿/shi): A heavy, sticky, turbid pathological fluid. When dampness combines with heat, it creates "damp-heat" — one of the most common patterns underlying chronic inflammatory conditions. Damp-heat produces swollen joints, heavy limbs, thick tongue coating, and persistent low-grade inflammation that does not resolve easily.

Blood stagnation (血瘀/xue yu): When blood flow becomes sluggish or blocked, it creates fixed, stabbing pain. Old injuries, chronic illness, and prolonged inflammation can all lead to blood stagnation. In Western terms, this often corresponds to poor circulation, adhesions, and chronic tissue damage.

Wind-dampness (风湿/feng shi): The TCM term for rheumatic conditions. "Wind" causes pain that moves from joint to joint. "Dampness" causes pain that is heavy, fixed, and worse in humid weather. Together, they block the channels and prevent the free flow of qi and blood.

According to a healthyD.com article featuring TCM practitioner perspectives, "chronic inflammation represents 'having heat' from a Chinese medicine perspective, which can be categorized as excess heat, deficiency heat, stagnant heat, damp-heat, dry heat, or stasis heat" (translated from Chinese). Treatment generally centers on "nourishing yin and clearing heat, with the addition of qi-moving and blood-activating herbs when needed" (translated from Chinese).

Why This Matters for Food Therapy

The pattern matters because different types of inflammation require different foods:

Inflammation Type	TCM Pattern	Food Strategy
Acute, hot, red, swollen	Excess heat	Cooling, bitter, and heat-clearing foods
Chronic, dull, heavy, worse in humid weather	Damp-heat	Drying, draining, and heat-clearing foods
Fixed, stabbing, worse at night	Blood stagnation	Blood-moving and channel-opening foods
Migrating, worse with wind/weather changes	Wind-dampness	Wind-dispelling, dampness-resolving foods
Low-grade, with fatigue and dryness	Yin deficiency heat	Yin-nourishing, gently cooling foods

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10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods in TCM

Before diving into recipes, here are the 10 most important anti-inflammatory foods in the Chinese food therapy tradition, with both their TCM properties and relevant modern research (translated from Chinese):

1. Yi Yi Ren (Job's Tears / Coix Seed) TCM properties: Cool, sweet, bland. Clears heat, drains dampness, strengthens the spleen. Modern research: Contains coixenolide, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties in laboratory studies. Use: Porridge, soups, teas. 30-60g daily.

2. Jiang Huang (Turmeric) TCM properties: Warm, pungent, bitter. Activates blood, moves qi, opens channels, stops pain. Modern research: Curcumin, turmeric's primary active compound, is one of the most extensively studied natural anti-inflammatory agents globally, with effects on NF-kB, COX-2, and multiple inflammatory pathways. Use: Soups, stir-fries, teas. 3-10g daily.

3. Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger) TCM properties: Warm, pungent. Dispels cold, warms the middle jiao, opens channels. Modern research: Gingerols and shogaols show anti-inflammatory effects comparable to NSAIDs in some studies. Use: Ubiquitous in Chinese cooking. 10-30g fresh daily.

4. Lv Dou (Mung Beans) TCM properties: Cool, sweet. Clears heat, resolves toxins, promotes urination. Modern research: Rich in vitexin and isovitexin, flavonoids with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Use: Soups, porridge. 30-50g daily.

5. Xue Li (Snow Pear) TCM properties: Cool, sweet. Moistens the lungs, clears heat, generates fluids. Modern research: Contains arbutin and chlorogenic acid with anti-inflammatory effects. Use: Stewed desserts, raw. 1-2 pears daily.

6. Ku Gua (Bitter Melon) TCM properties: Cold, bitter. Clears heat, brightens the eyes, resolves toxins. Modern research: Contains momordicin and charantin with anti-inflammatory and blood-sugar-lowering effects. Use: Stir-fries, soups. 100-200g daily.

7. Hei Mu Er (Black Wood Ear Fungus) TCM properties: Neutral, sweet. Nourishes blood, stops bleeding, moistens dryness. Modern research: Polysaccharides in black wood ear show anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties. Use: Soups, stir-fries, salads. 10-15g dried daily.

8. Lian Ou (Lotus Root) TCM properties: Raw — cool and sweet, clears heat and cools blood. Cooked — warm and sweet, nourishes the spleen and stomach. Modern research: Contains catechins and gallic acid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Use: Soups, stir-fries. 100-200g daily.

9. Bai He (Lily Bulb) TCM properties: Cool, sweet. Moistens the lungs, clears heat, calms the spirit. Modern research: Contains saponins and alkaloids with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Use: Soups, sweet desserts. 15-30g dried daily.

10. Qin Cai (Celery) TCM properties: Cool, sweet, bitter. Clears heat, calms the liver, promotes urination. Modern research: Contains apigenin, a flavonoid with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Use: Stir-fries, juiced, soups. 100-200g daily.

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8 Anti-Inflammatory Recipes

1. Yi Yi Ren Lv Dou Tang (Job's Tears and Mung Bean Soup) — 薏仁绿豆汤

Target: Damp-heat inflammation — joint swelling, heavy limbs, thick tongue coating, skin conditions Best for: Rheumatic conditions worse in humid weather, gout flares, chronic skin inflammation

Ingredients:

• Yi yi ren (Job's tears): 50g
• Lv dou (mung beans): 50g
• Bai he (lily bulb): 15g
• Bing tang (rock sugar): to taste
• Water: 1.5 liters

Preparation:

1. Soak yi yi ren and mung beans overnight or for at least 4 hours.
2. Combine in a pot with 1.5 liters of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes until beans are soft.
4. Add lily bulb and cook for another 15 minutes.
5. Add rock sugar to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Why it works: Yi yi ren and mung beans are the premier damp-heat-clearing duo in Chinese food therapy. Yi yi ren drains dampness through urination while strengthening the spleen. Mung beans clear heat and resolve toxins. Lily bulb adds yin-nourishing and cooling power. This combination creates an internal environment that is cool, clean, and free-flowing — the opposite of the hot, sticky, stagnant environment that drives chronic inflammation.

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2. Jiang Huang Ji Tang (Turmeric Chicken Soup) — 姜黄鸡汤

Target: Blood stagnation with chronic joint or muscle pain Best for: Fixed pain in specific locations, old injuries, chronic back or knee pain, pain worse at night

Ingredients:

• Jiang huang (turmeric root): 10g sliced (or 5g powder)
• Chicken thigh or drumstick: 2 pieces (about 400g)
• Sheng jiang (fresh ginger): 4 slices
• Gou qi zi (goji berries): 10g
• Dang gui (angelica root): 6g
• Hong zao (red dates): 4 pieces
• Water: 1.2 liters

Preparation:

1. Blanch chicken pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine all ingredients in a clay pot with 1.2 liters of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours.
4. Season with salt. Serve warm.

Why it works: Turmeric activates blood circulation and opens the channels — its Chinese name jiang huang literally means "ginger-yellow," reflecting its close relationship with ginger but with stronger blood-moving properties. Dang gui nourishes and moves blood. Ginger warms the channels. Goji berries and red dates nourish blood and qi. Chicken provides protein and warming energy. This soup addresses the root cause of blood stagnation pain by simultaneously nourishing new blood and moving stagnant old blood.

A Henan Provincial health newspaper article on turmeric in dietary therapy noted that turmeric "enters the spleen and liver channels, has the functions of activating blood, moving qi, opening channels, and stopping pain" and is commonly used for "rheumatic shoulder and arm pain" (translated from Chinese).

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3. Xue Li Chuan Bei Tang (Snow Pear and Fritillary Bulb Stew) — 雪梨川贝汤

Target: Yin deficiency heat — low-grade inflammation with dryness Best for: Chronic inflammation with dry skin, dry cough, dry eyes, feeling of heat in the afternoon/evening, night sweats

Ingredients:

• Xue li (snow pear): 2 large
• Chuan bei mu (Sichuan fritillary bulb): 6g, crushed
• Bing tang (rock sugar): 15g
• Yin er (white wood ear fungus): half a dried piece, soaked
• Water: 800ml

Preparation:

1. Soak white wood ear for 1 hour. Trim hard base, tear into pieces.
2. Wash pears. Cut off the top third as a lid. Core the inside, leaving the bottom intact.
3. Place crushed chuan bei mu and a portion of rock sugar inside each pear.
4. Place pears in a deep bowl or steamer-safe dish with white wood ear and remaining water around them.
5. Steam for 45-60 minutes until pears are very soft.
6. Eat the pears and drink all the liquid.

Why it works: Snow pear is one of TCM's best yin-nourishing fruits — it clears heat from the lungs and generates fluids. The classical Chinese medical text records that snow pear "moistens the lungs, cools the heart, eliminates inflammation, and reduces fire" (translated from Chinese). Chuan bei mu clears heat and transforms phlegm. White wood ear deeply nourishes yin and generates collagen-like fluids. This combination addresses the type of inflammation that comes from insufficient cooling — when the body's "water" cannot keep its "fire" in check.

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4. Hei Mu Er Hong Zao Tang (Black Wood Ear and Red Date Soup) — 黑木耳红枣汤

Target: Blood stagnation with qi deficiency Best for: Chronic pain with fatigue, poor circulation, numbness or tingling, cold extremities

Ingredients:

• Hei mu er (dried black wood ear fungus): 15g
• Hong zao (red dates): 10 pieces
• Sheng jiang (fresh ginger): 3 slices
• Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon
• Water: 800ml

Preparation:

1. Soak black wood ear in cold water for 2-3 hours until fully expanded. Trim any hard parts.
2. Pit the red dates.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 800ml water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Serve warm.

Why it works: Black wood ear fungus has remarkable blood-moving properties. A Qingdao Municipal Hospital health article described it as having natural anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning effects (translated from Chinese). Red dates nourish blood and qi, providing the raw material for healthy circulation. Ginger warms the channels and promotes flow. Brown sugar is warm and nourishing. This simple formula addresses both the stagnation (wood ear moves blood) and the deficiency (dates and sugar nourish) that commonly coexist in chronic pain conditions.

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5. Lian Ou Pai Gu Tang (Lotus Root and Pork Rib Soup) — 莲藕排骨汤

Target: General heat-clearing with qi and blood nourishment Best for: Inflammatory conditions with irritability, dry mouth, mild joint stiffness, post-exercise soreness

Ingredients:

• Lian ou (lotus root): 2 sections (about 400g), peeled and sliced into rounds
• Pork ribs: 400g
• Shan yao (Chinese yam): 100g, peeled and sliced
• Yu mi (corn): 1 ear, cut into segments
• Ginger: 3 slices
• Water: 1.5 liters

Preparation:

1. Blanch pork ribs for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine ribs, ginger, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add lotus root, shan yao, and corn. Continue simmering for 45 minutes.
4. Season with salt.

Why it works: Cooked lotus root becomes warm and nourishing while retaining its ability to cool blood and reduce inflammation. It contains tannins that have astringent and anti-inflammatory effects. Shan yao strengthens the spleen to support overall recovery. Pork ribs nourish qi and blood. This is a balanced, everyday soup that addresses mild inflammation without being too cooling or too warming.

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6. Ku Gua Huang Dou Tang (Bitter Melon and Soybean Soup) — 苦瓜黄豆汤

Target: Excess heat and damp-heat Best for: Hot, swollen, red joints, inflammatory skin conditions, summer heat aggravation, gout

Ingredients:

• Ku gua (bitter melon): 1 medium, halved, seeds removed, sliced
• Huang dou (dried soybeans): 50g, soaked overnight
• Pork ribs: 300g
• Chen pi (aged tangerine peel): 6g
• Water: 1.2 liters

Preparation:

1. Blanch pork ribs. Drain.
2. Combine soaked soybeans, ribs, and chen pi in a pot with 1.2 liters of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add bitter melon slices and cook for an additional 15 minutes (overcooking makes it mushy and overly bitter).
5. Season with salt.

Why it works: Bitter melon is one of the strongest heat-clearing foods in the Chinese dietary tradition. The bitter flavor itself is therapeutic — in TCM, bitterness "drains fire and dries dampness." Soybeans clear heat and nourish yin. Chen pi prevents the cooling herbs from stagnating in the stomach. This is an aggressive cooling formula best suited for excess-type inflammatory conditions — not appropriate for people with cold constitutions.

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7. Jiang Huang Yi Yi Ren Cha (Turmeric and Job's Tears Tea) — 姜黄薏仁茶

Target: Damp-heat with blood stagnation — the combined pattern Best for: Rheumatoid arthritis, chronic joint inflammation, persistent swelling

Ingredients:

• Jiang huang (turmeric powder or sliced root): 3g
• Yi yi ren (Job's tears): 30g
• Sheng jiang (fresh ginger): 2 slices
• Water: 600ml

Preparation:

1. Dry-fry yi yi ren in a pan for 5-7 minutes until lightly golden (this transforms their nature from cool to neutral, making them easier on the stomach).
2. Combine roasted yi yi ren, turmeric, and ginger in a pot with 600ml water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
4. Strain and drink warm. Consume 1-2 cups daily.

Why it works: This tea attacks inflammation from two angles simultaneously. Yi yi ren drains the dampness that creates swelling. Turmeric moves the stagnant blood that causes fixed pain. Ginger warms the channels to improve circulation and softens the cooling nature of yi yi ren. This combination is particularly effective because chronic inflammatory joint conditions almost always involve both dampness and blood stagnation together.

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8. Bai He Lian Zi Qing Re Tang (Lily Bulb and Lotus Seed Cooling Soup) — 百合莲子清热汤

Target: Yin deficiency with internal heat and restlessness Best for: Chronic inflammatory conditions with insomnia, anxiety, dry mouth, feeling of heat, red tongue

Ingredients:

• Bai he (lily bulb): 20g
• Lian zi (lotus seeds): 20g
• Mai dong (ophiopogon): 10g
• Yu zhu (Solomon's seal): 10g
• Lean pork: 200g
• Water: 1 liter

Preparation:

1. Blanch pork and cut into pieces.
2. Soak lily bulb and lotus seeds for 20 minutes.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 1 liter of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1.5 hours.
5. Season with salt.

Why it works: This formula nourishes yin and clears deficiency heat. Mai dong and yu zhu are powerful yin-nourishing herbs that generate fluids and cool the body from the inside. Lily bulb and lotus seeds calm the spirit and nourish the heart. This type of cooling is gentle and sustainable — it does not suppress inflammation aggressively but rather restores the body's natural cooling system.

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The TCM Anti-Inflammatory Dietary Framework

Beyond specific recipes, TCM provides a comprehensive dietary framework for reducing chronic inflammation. Here is a summary of the core principles (translated from Chinese):

Foods to Emphasize

Cooling vegetables: Cucumber, celery, spinach, watercress, winter melon, zucchini, bok choy Dampness-draining grains: Job's tears, millet, buckwheat, brown rice Heat-clearing proteins: Mung beans, tofu, fish (especially freshwater fish), duck Anti-inflammatory fruits: Snow pear, watermelon, mulberry, kiwi, persimmon Channel-opening spices: Turmeric, ginger (in moderation), scallion white, garlic (in moderation) Blood-moving foods: Black wood ear, hawthorn berry, vinegar, safflower

Foods to Minimize

Heat-generating foods: Lamb, venison, deep-fried foods, roasted nuts, excessive alcohol, chili peppers, cinnamon bark (in excess) Dampness-producing foods: Excessive dairy, refined sugar, greasy foods, cold beer, excessively sweet fruit Blood-stagnating foods: Excessive cold food (constricts blood vessels), trans fats, highly processed meats

The Balance Principle

TCM does not advocate eliminating entire food groups. The goal is tilting the balance toward cooling, dampness-draining, and blood-moving foods while reducing heat-generating and dampness-producing ones. A 70/30 ratio — 70% anti-inflammatory, 30% neutral — is a practical target.

Statistical context from Chinese and international sources (translated from Chinese):

• Chronic pain affects approximately 30% of the global adult population, with inflammatory conditions among the leading causes
• Turmeric (curcumin) has been studied in over 120 clinical trials for inflammatory conditions as of 2025
• The compound coixenolide from Job's tears has shown anti-inflammatory effects in multiple laboratory studies
• In Chinese clinical practice, the combination of yi yi ren + huang bai (phellodendron bark) is one of the most frequently prescribed herb pairs for damp-heat joint pain
• TCM dietary therapy for inflammatory conditions typically recommends 4-8 weeks of consistent dietary modification before assessing results
• A 2025 research paper in the journal Medical and Public Health documented the combined use of acupuncture and food therapy for chronic gastritis, demonstrating the integrative approach common in Chinese clinical practice
• Traditional Chinese dietary guidelines recommend that bitter-flavored foods comprise approximately 15-20% of the diet for people with heat-dominant constitutions
• Black wood ear fungus consumption has been associated with improved cardiovascular markers in Chinese population studies

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Seasonal Adjustments for Inflammation Management

TCM strongly emphasizes seasonal adaptation in dietary therapy. The same person with the same condition may need different foods in summer versus winter (translated from Chinese):

Spring: Focus on liver-soothing, qi-moving foods. Add chrysanthemum tea, celery, and leafy greens. Inflammation often flares in spring as the liver becomes active.

Summer: Maximum cooling foods. Mung bean soup, bitter melon, watermelon, lotus leaf tea. Summer heat can exacerbate inflammatory conditions.

Late summer/early autumn: Transition to dampness-draining foods. This is the peak season for damp-heat conditions. Job's tears and fu ling are essential.

Autumn: Shift to yin-nourishing and moistening foods. Snow pear, lily bulb, white wood ear. Autumn dryness can trigger a different type of inflammation.

Winter: Reduce cooling foods significantly. Shift to warming, blood-nourishing foods — ginger, turmeric, dang gui, lamb (in moderation). Cold weather can worsen blood stagnation and channel obstruction.

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FAQ

Q: Can TCM food therapy replace anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen? A: Food therapy is not a substitute for prescribed medications, especially for acute pain or diagnosed inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. It works best as a complementary approach alongside medical treatment. Some people find they can gradually reduce their reliance on over-the-counter anti-inflammatories after establishing consistent dietary changes, but this should always be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Q: I have an autoimmune condition. Is TCM food therapy safe? A: Most of the foods listed here are safe for people with autoimmune conditions, but certain ingredients (particularly those that "activate blood" like turmeric and dang gui) could theoretically interact with immunosuppressive medications. Consult your rheumatologist or primary care provider, and ideally work with a TCM practitioner experienced with autoimmune conditions.

Q: How does TCM distinguish between inflammation from injury versus inflammation from disease? A: TCM treats them differently. Injury-related inflammation (traumatic blood stagnation) is addressed primarily with blood-moving foods and herbs. Disease-related inflammation is addressed by identifying the underlying pattern — which may involve heat, dampness, yin deficiency, or a combination. An injury that does not heal properly can eventually become a disease pattern, blurring the line between the two.

Q: Is turmeric really that effective, or is it overhyped? A: In TCM, turmeric has been used for blood stagnation and pain for centuries — it is a well-established ingredient, not a trend. Modern research on curcumin is extensive but complex. Bioavailability is a challenge (curcumin is poorly absorbed alone), which is why TCM often combines it with ginger and other warming spices that may improve absorption. The evidence is strongest for osteoarthritis and general joint pain.

Q: What is the TCM perspective on nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and inflammation? A: This is primarily a Western alternative medicine concern with limited basis in TCM theory. TCM classifies tomatoes as cool and sweet, eggplant as cool and sweet, and peppers as hot and pungent. TCM would not group them together as a category. That said, TCM would recommend limiting hot peppers for someone with excess heat, and would note that raw tomatoes are quite cooling and may not be ideal for people with spleen yang deficiency.

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Sources

• healthyD.com — TCM perspective on chronic inflammation and 2 food therapy recipes (身體容易發炎怎麼辦？中醫推介2款養生食療食譜)
• Shenzhen Integrative Medicine Hospital — Food therapy principles and applications (中医食疗的奥秘：食物与健康的完美融合)
• Epoch Times Chinese edition — 10 natural anti-inflammatory foods (10种天然抗炎食物 防御炎症避免慢性病)
• Qingdao Municipal Hospital — Natural anti-inflammatory foods (这些天然的消炎降火食物)
• Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital — Dietary management of chronic conditions (慢性疾病巧用饮食调理)
• Medical and Public Health journal (2025) — Acupuncture and food therapy for chronic gastritis
• Henan Provincial Health Newspaper — Turmeric in dietary therapy (餐桌上的中药之五十二 姜黄)
• Chinese Medicine World (zysj.com.cn) — TCM pharmacology reference for individual herbs
• Zhihu — Compiled TCM herbal properties reference (241种中药特性大全)

— The Yao Shan Guide Team