Bian Gua
砭刮术
Stone-tool gliding practices used within a structured wellness session.
↘Chinese stone wellness · Shanghai · Since 2011
Ancient stone.
Living practice.
Zhongbiantang brings a Chinese bian-stone wellness tradition into contemporary practice—through a distinctive warming tool, a structured five-method system, and practitioner education led by founder Ma Yongliang.
砭STONE · WARMTH · PRACTICE
中砭堂
ZHONGBIANTANG
01 — The living heritage
Preserving tradition by making it teachable, usable and responsible.
Founded by Ma Yongliang, Zhongbiantang is built on approximately 15 years of research, hands-on practice and teaching in bian-stone wellness. Ma is a representative inheritor of the Zhoucun District-level intangible cultural heritage project “Bian Que Technique.” This cultural recognition is not a medical licence or an endorsement of therapeutic efficacy.
≈15 years of focused practice5 complementary methodsShanghai operating base
Actual product02 — Signature product
Bianjiu
Treasure
砭灸宝 · 温热砭石养生器具
A substantial, reusable warming mat that brings carefully selected bian-stone blocks together with controlled heat—designed for slow, guided wellness rituals rather than quick-fix promises.
Stone-first construction
Multiple thick stone blocks distribute weight and warmth across a broad contact area.
Whole-body versatility
Can be positioned along the back, abdomen or selected limbs, with professional guidance.
Designed for continuity
A calm, repeatable practice for studios, retreats and suitable home-wellness settings.
Circular rental model
Historically offered through staged rental to protect scarce material and lower access cost.
How it is experienced
Warmth, weight and a quieter pace.
The Bianjiu Treasure is warmed and placed according to the user, session goal and professional assessment. Zhongbiantang materials document use along the full back, abdomen, neck area, knees, ankles and feet, as well as combined positions. For international use, a local professional should review every protocol against applicable product, consumer and health regulations.
- 01AssessReview suitability, sensitivities and contraindications.
- 02PrepareSet a comfortable temperature and protective layer.
- 03ExperienceRest in a supervised, time-limited warming session.
- 04ReflectRecord comfort and adjust future sessions conservatively.
A broad-format warming experienceProfessional demonstration image
Use with care
Wellness is not
a medical shortcut.
Bianjiu Treasure is presented as a wellness tool—not a medical device, diagnosis, treatment or cure. It must not replace qualified medical care.
- Do not use over broken, inflamed or insensitive skin.
- Do not use during pregnancy without qualified medical advice.
- Avoid use when intoxicated, immediately after heavy sweating, or when unable to sense heat reliably.
- Stop immediately if there is pain, dizziness, burning or unusual discomfort.
- Keep electrical and heating components dry; handle internal stone blocks carefully.
03 — A complete practice system
Five methods.
One coherent discipline.
Bianjiu is one part of Zhongbiantang’s broader system. Each method works through a different form of contact; none is a universal answer.
Bian Jiu
砭灸术
A controlled warming practice and the foundation of the Bianjiu Treasure experience.
↘Bian Guan
砭罐术
A stone-based cupping practice taught with clear assessment and safety boundaries.
↘Bian Que
砭榷术
Zhongbiantang’s heritage practice, preserved through teaching and supervised practice.
↘Bian Song
砭松术
A hands-on approach focused on soft-tissue relaxation and practitioner skill.
↘04 — Four methods in depth
Not four names.
Four different ways of working.
The distinctions matter. Surface gliding, stone-cup suction, rhythmic percussion and focused soft-tissue contact require different tools, judgments and practitioner skills.
Bian Gua
砭刮术
A foundational method for reading the body through touch, direction and tissue response.
Bian Gua uses a purpose-shaped bian-stone tool to glide over selected surface areas. It is the most accessible entry point in the five-method system, but skilled work depends on assessment—not on scraping harder or producing darker marks.
Core knowledge 关键知识
- 01Choose the tool edge for the body area and intended contact.
- 02Work with tissue and muscle direction, not random repetition.
- 03Control angle, pressure, speed, medium and session length together.
- 04Observe skin condition, comfort and recovery; visible marks are not a performance target.
Distinct value 独特价值
- Builds foundational tool control and tactile awareness.
- Supports broad, methodical surface work before more focused methods.
- Creates a clear teaching bridge from assessment to safe hands-on practice.
Bian Guan
砭罐术
Stone-cup suction becomes a method only when pressure, movement and time are controlled.
Bian Guan applies a bian-stone cup through stationary cupping, brief repeated contact or carefully guided moving-cup practice. Zhongbiantang treats it as a distinct method for broad tissue mobilisation—not simply as leaving a cup in place.
Core knowledge 关键知识
- 01Match cup size and suction level to the area and the individual.
- 02Distinguish stationary, flash and moving techniques; each has a different purpose.
- 03Monitor skin colour, sensation and time continuously.
- 04Release suction before repositioning; never drag a fixed cup by force.
Distinct value 独特价值
- Offers broad contact without repeated direct pressing.
- Adds a mobile negative-pressure dimension to the five-method system.
- Can prepare or complement later warming and focused soft-tissue work.
Bian Que
砭榷术
The heritage core of Zhongbiantang: purposeful rhythm instead of forceful correction.
Bian Que is Zhongbiantang’s representative heritage technique. It uses specialised stone tools to deliver measured, rhythmic and purposeful percussion around the spinal structure and related soft tissues. Its working logic is to observe structure and muscular balance together, rather than treating bone and muscle as separate systems.
Core knowledge 关键知识
- 01Assessment comes first: posture, symmetry, tissue tone and personal tolerance guide the session.
- 02Rhythm, sequence, direction and force are trained variables—not improvised impact.
- 03The method works around structural relationships and surrounding soft tissue; it is not high-force spinal manipulation.
- 04Practitioners learn when to stop, modify the sequence or refer for medical evaluation.
Distinct value 独特价值
- Carries the clearest lineage and cultural identity within the five-method system.
- Connects structural observation with muscle-balance thinking.
- Turns an embodied heritage practice into a teachable sequence with supervision and assessment.
- Provides an organising centre around which the other four methods can be selected.
Bian Song
砭松术
From a broad area to a precise point: finding tension before trying to change it.
Bian Song is a non-penetrating, tool-assisted soft-tissue method. The practitioner first palpates for differences in tissue tone, tight bands, nodular areas or restrictions around healed scar tissue, then uses controlled pressure, small-directional movement and progressive release. The objective is skilled relaxation—not aggressive tissue damage.
Core knowledge 关键知识
- 01Palpation and localisation come before tool pressure.
- 02Tool shape, contact point, angle and depth must match the tissue layer.
- 03Work progressively from broad preparation to focused contact; more pain does not mean more value.
- 04Re-check movement, comfort and tissue response after each focused sequence.
Distinct value 独特价值
- Provides more precise contact than broad massage or surface gliding.
- Makes fascia and soft-tissue assessment a trainable practitioner skill.
- Complements Bian Gua’s surface preparation, Bian Jiu’s warmth and Bian Que’s structural rhythm.
- Creates a disciplined way to work around long-standing tension and healed-tissue restriction within a wellness scope.
How the system connects
One assessment.
Five possible methods.
砭刮Surface→砭罐Suction→砭灸Warmth→砭榷Rhythm→砭松Focus
This is a knowledge map, not a fixed treatment order. A trained practitioner selects, combines or omits methods after assessment.
04 — Education & transfer
Learn the method.
Earn the practice.
Zhongbiantang’s training direction combines concentrated learning, supervised practice, correction and assessment. The current internal standard separates a short intensive introduction from an approximately 30-day practice period and a skills assessment—because listening to a course is not the same as becoming competent.
Wellness practitionersStudio & spa teamsEducatorsCultural institutions
Request the international curriculum →
05 — Founder
Ma Yongliang
马永亮
Founder of Zhongbiantang and representative inheritor of the Zhoucun District-level intangible cultural heritage project “Bian Que Technique.” His work spans bian-stone practice, soft-tissue wellness, practitioner teaching and the ongoing standardisation of a living tradition.
“Tradition stays alive when the next person can understand it, practise it safely, and pass it forward with integrity.”
06 — International partnership
Bring this living practice to your community.
We welcome thoughtful conversations with wellness studios, spas, retreat operators, educators, cultural organisations, distributors and research partners in the United States and Europe.
TrainingProduct pilotsDistributionCultural programmesResearch dialogue
Call China: +86 166 2120 5857 ↗07 — Questions
Before we begin.
Is Bianjiu Treasure a medical device?+
No. This website presents it as a traditional wellness tool. Any distribution or professional use must be reviewed against the laws and regulatory classifications of the destination market.
Can I purchase the product?+
Zhongbiantang has historically used a staged rental model. International pilots, purchase structures, logistics and aftercare are discussed case by case.
Do you offer training in English?+
An international curriculum and bilingual teaching materials can be scoped for qualified partner organisations. Delivery format, translation and assessment standards are agreed before launch.
Can we make health claims when marketing it?+
No unverified medical or therapeutic claim should be used. Partners must follow local advertising, consumer-protection and health-product rules.