Acupuncture, a component of traditional Chinese medicine, can serve as an effective introduction to TCM therapies in other countries, officials said.

Acupuncture is widely practiced, having reached 103 countries besides China, according to the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies.

Acupuncture helps penetrate barriers

Eighteen countries cover acupuncture under their health insurance plans, which indicates wide acceptance of its effectiveness, said Li Zhenji, vice-chairman of the federation, an international nongovernmental organization committed to TCM promotion worldwide.

"Foreigners are more likely to accept the technique of acupuncture" than TCM herbal drugs, Li said.

Researchers and practitioners in China also are initiating more medical studies on acupuncture's therapeutic effect, said Liu Naigang, a veteran acupuncturist at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, urged the Chinese government to promote acupuncture and TCM in general abroad to benefit more people worldwide.

The museum's centerpiece is a cast bronze model engraved with acupuncture points that was given by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to courtiers who had helped compile medical texts.

President Xi Jinping was to give a 1.82-meter-tall copy of the bronze figure to the WHO during a visit to its headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday.

"That's a huge honor and boost for TCM and acupuncture around the world," Liu said. Acupuncture has proved effective with different illnesses, he said.

With help from modern medical technology like imaging, "acupuncture can be practiced in a more targeted and effective approach," Liu said.