In China, cupping is called ba guan, and it has been part of everyday life for a very long time. The cups have been made of horn, bamboo, pottery and now mostly glass, and round marks on someone's back are an ordinary sight there. This guide covers how the cups changed, how fire cupping works, and where people come across cupping in China today.
From horn to bamboo to glass
China Daily's account of the practice says the earliest records date to the Qin dynasty (221 to 206 BC), when horn was the material of choice. The word guan in ba guan means jar, which tells you what the tool looks like.
The material kept changing. According to the same account:
- Qin dynasty (221 to 206 BC): animal horn.
- Southern and Northern dynasties (420 to 581): cupping developed further, became part of Taoist practice and was widely used in imperial courts.
- Sui and Tang dynasties (581 to 907): bamboo jars replaced horn.
- Qing dynasty (1644 to 1911): the name used today was coined, around the time jars began to be made of pottery.
- Today: glass is the usual choice. China Daily says it is preferred because it resists breaking better than pottery, does not wear out like bamboo, and lets the person doing it see the skin.
The China Story adds that cups were also made from gourds and clay, and that some cuppers in China still use bamboo pipes.
What fire cupping looks like
The classic method is fire cupping. A flame is held briefly inside a glass jar to warm the air, the flame comes out, and the jar goes onto the skin straight away. As the air cools, the jar grips and draws the skin up into it. Reporters at the 2016 Olympics described the same method when they explained the marks on Michael Phelps: a cotton ball with a flammable liquid, lit inside the cup, then put out and applied. AFP said the skin is drawn up by about three centimetres.
China Daily describes three common styles:
- Sustained cupping: the cup stays in one spot for about ten minutes for adults.
- Moving cupping: oil goes on first, then the cup is slid across the skin.
- Quick cupping: the cup is put on and taken off repeatedly.
The China Story says moving cupping is closely related to tuina, the Chinese hands-on massage tradition. Qing dynasty reference books, such as the Supplement to the Outline of Materia Medica, describe fire cupping in more detail.
These are things that skilled practitioners do. Open flame, glass and bare skin are not a combination to try alone at home.
Where you see it in China today
The China Story lists the places where cupping is still found: practitioners' rooms, small shops, the premises of traditional bonesetters, massage parlours, beauty salons and, on some streets, curbside folk practitioners. Some bathhouse-style establishments, which the article calls "Roman baths", offer cupping as a service too.
An undated photograph in the West China Missions collection at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville shows a practitioner using bamboo cups on a patient at the side of a street while others wait their turn. The caption says this scene was common on street corners.
AFP reported in August 2016 that red circles on the backs, arms and legs of men and women of all ages were already a common sight in China. The manager of a spa in Beijing told the agency that requests for cupping had risen by 30 per cent since the Olympics began, even though, in her words, Chinese people had known about it for a long time. We looked for reliable reporting on cupping in public parks and could not find any, so we have left that out.
A calmer way to try the idea at home
Most people in Australia will never use fire and glass at home, and they do not need to. The RHYTIA smart cupping massager uses a small motor for the suction. It has a textured gliding cup for use with oil, which is the nearest thing to moving cupping, and a larger cup that you rest in one spot, much like sustained cupping. You choose the suction from 12 levels, and a press of the release button lets the cup come off gently.
If you want to see how the gliding style sits next to a scraping tool, there is a comparison in body gua sha vs cupping.
Try it at home
Rhythmic cupping in one spot, or gliding with oil: both styles in one cordless handheld. Free shipping Australia-wide, 14-day refund.
Shop the RHYTIA massagerThe cups also swap in seconds: the RHYTIA massager comes with a large cup, a small cup and the textured gliding cup.
The same story elsewhere
Cupping in China is one chapter of a longer story. For the wider picture, read the history of cupping around the world.
Common questions
What does ba guan mean?
It is the Chinese name for cupping. It comes from a word for jar, because the cups were traditionally jars made of horn, bamboo, pottery or glass.
What were Chinese cupping jars made of?
Horn first, then bamboo from the Sui and Tang dynasties, then pottery under the Qing. Glass is the most common today, with some bamboo still in use.
Is fire cupping the same as a cupping massager?
The idea of suction on the skin is shared, but the method is different. A massager uses a small electric pump and adjustable levels, with no flame. See what is a smart cupping massager.
Why do people in China have round marks on their backs?
The marks are what cups leave on the skin. AFP reported in 2016 that they were already a common sight there. If you are curious about how they look on the skin, cupping marks explained goes through it.
Can I use a home cupping massager if I have a health condition?
Check with your GP first, especially if you are pregnant, have a pacemaker or another implanted device, or take blood thinners.
Further reading
- China Daily: Cupping
- The China Story: Cups, Needles, and Noxious Blood
- AFP via ARY News: Michael Phelps gives cupping a boost in China (11 August 2016)
- West China Missions collection, SIUE: Cupping Method Used by Chinese Street Doctor
- Mental Floss: Michael Phelps and the Rio cupping marks
RHYTIA is a massager for general relaxation and comfort. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition.