Why does tianjiu have several different prices? Recommendations, the two fee items 2.5 times apart, the dates for 18 districts and four official documents that do not agree, 2026

TL;DR At the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics tianjiu is a "non-government-subsidised Chinese medicine service", so the subsidised $120 a visit and the fee waiver that goes with it have nothing to do with it. Where a fee schedule is published, more than one item on it relates to tianjiu, and the two are as much as 2.5 times apart — while the word "tianjiu" appears nowhere on the whole schedule. Before asking the price, ask which item they book it under.

⚠️ This article's summer 2026 dates hold until the service period ends on 24 August 2026; its checking date is 3 August 2026. The winter sanjiu round is announced separately; see below.

---

#The $120 has nothing to do with tianjiu, and more than one price can be found

The easiest thing to get wrong, first. Tianjiu is named by the Hospital Authority itself as a "non-government-subsidised" service [Note 1].

So the whole set of rules on that subsidised line — $120 a visit, the fee waiver for recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and for Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, and "vouchers and discounts do not apply" — all belong to government-subsidised Chinese medicine outpatient services, and tianjiu is not among them [Note 2].

⚠️ Estimating the price of tianjiu from that $120 is estimating something else.

And the Authority's sanfu tianjiu service notice carries nothing but dates, addresses and telephone numbers; it lists no charges.

⚠️ One detail decides whether you have the waiver at all: it is for recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (with no age condition) and for Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above. That page repeats "aged 75 or above" when it lists the documents required. So a person of 70 receiving the Old Age Living Allowance does not, on that page's wording, qualify. (The difference between the Chinese and English versions is not the age — the English likewise says Aged 75 or above. What differs is the name of the allowance: the Chinese writes 「長者生活津貼」 and the English writes Higher Old Age Living Allowance, with the extra word "Higher". The Chinese governs, and the notification issued by the Social Welfare Department is the actual proof.)

The scope of the charge information, stated plainly. Of the 13 charges listed on the service charge page of Pok Oi Hospital's Sha Tin District Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (which states itself effective 1 April 2025), none is tianjiu or acupoint application; and that hospital's own tianjiu therapy page carries no prices either, saying only that all its Chinese medicine clinics and training and research centres provide tianjiu and that details should be sought from the staff of each centre.

⚠️ But at the very end of the charge column on that same page is a sentence that should not be missed [Note 3]: the hospital offers Chinese medicine concessions for the elderly and for recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, and details should be sought from the staff.

That sentence does not say how much the concession is, which services it covers, or expressly whether it includes tianjiu — but it does say plainly that there is something to ask about. An elderly person or a Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipient who reads the charge table and concludes that nothing there is for them has missed that line.

Of the ten operating organisations, this article quotes the charge page of only one, Pok Oi Hospital. The other nine set their own prices; this article does not quote them and does not generalise from one to all.

---

#On one fee schedule, two items 2.5 times apart

There are two items with published prices that relate to tianjiu on the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong's schedule, not one.

The schedule's notes have to be read with it, because one of them tightens and the other loosens [Note 4]. Note 1 says each treatment is charged as a single combined fee with no itemised breakdown — which is where the "price per session" figure comes from. Note 3 says the actual charge depends on which items are used and how much of them — that is, however many sessions and however many items, that is the multiple.

⚠️ So the figure on that schedule is the price of one item in one session, not the price of a course. Taking it for a course price goes a long way wrong.

And the words "first-year charge" in front of each figure are themselves a time limit, not a permanent price. The hospital's market-oriented services page states that in its first year of operation certain specified services carry a trial price at eight-tenths to nine-tenths of the list price [Note 5].

Two things to watch: "first year of operation" means the hospital's first year, and both fee schedules state themselves effective from 11 December 2025; and "certain specified services" means the trial price does not cover every item in the hospital. Neither that page nor either schedule prints the last day of the concession, so this article does not estimate when it ends.

But one practical conclusion is this: the gaps between those $250, $630 and $790 and the list prices of $280, $700 and $980 beside them are time-limited, and should not be treated as long-term prices for a budget over several years.

Where the real risk lies has to be stated precisely. On this schedule, moxibustion and acupuncture are the same price and sit next to each other — so this is not a case of "quoting acupuncture and finding tianjiu 2.5 times dearer".

⚠️ The real problem is that the Department of Health's classification (moxibustion) and another apparently corresponding item on the fee schedule (acupoint application) point to two prices 2.5 times apart, and the schedule itself does not say which one tianjiu falls under. One session with a consultant can be $250 or $630, depending on which row the organisation books it under.

A worked sum: a first visit in the first year, with a consultant. Using the same hospital's published first-year prices and the consultation fee from its other schedule:

- Consultant consultation $790 + treatment booked as "acupoint application" $250 = $1,040 (first year) - Consultant consultation $790 + treatment booked as "moxibustion" $630 = $1,420 (first year) - Senior practitioner consultation $450 + treatment booked as "acupoint application" $250 = $700 (first year)

So "$250" was never what a first-time patient pays at the counter. The consultation fee alone is $790 with a consultant — more than the treatment itself. And this is one session: a full sanfu course usually runs to more than one, and the schedule says nothing about that.

⚠️ These three figures are this site's addition of the hospital's two published schedules, not a package price the hospital publishes.

And to be honest about it: these are still the prices of "moxibustion" and "acupoint application", not the price of "tianjiu". Neither of the hospital's schedules contains the word "tianjiu" anywhere, and no published document says whether one treatment equals one seasonal sanfu or sanjiu course. These are also the prices of one institution, the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, and not the prices at the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics — where tianjiu is a non-subsidised service priced by each operating organisation.

---

#Seven questions to ask when you telephone about the price

1. Which fee item do you book tianjiu under? Moxibustion, acupoint application, or something else? — ask this first, because it can differ by a factor of 2.5.
2. Is that price for one session or for the whole course (first, middle and last fu, and possibly a booster)?
3. Is the consultation fee separate? Does a first visit differ from a follow-up?
4. Is there a separate charge for the herbal patch itself?
5. If I stop partway, how is what I have already paid treated?
6. Is there a concession for the elderly or for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients? — Pok Oi Hospital's Sha Tin clinic charge page states in terms that there are Chinese medicine concessions for the elderly and for recipients; and the Authority's 18 district clinics did offer a half-price concession for those aged 65 or above in the winter 2024 round. So this question has a precedent behind it and is not asked out of nowhere.
7. Do you take health care vouchers? — The Authority's page states in terms that "vouchers and discounts do not apply to government-subsidised Chinese medicine services"; Pok Oi's Sha Tin clinic charge page states at the end of its charge column that vouchers may be used, but the 13 charges on that page do not include tianjiu, so that page cannot answer whether vouchers work for tianjiu. Ask.

---

#Four official documents, four different accounts

This is the most important distinction in the article. The documents this article cites fall into four classes, and the four are talking about four different things, which cannot be read together — nor waved away with "no official body endorses it", because one of them does.

Class 1: a government department's classification and safety advice. The Department of Health's press release is about what tianjiu is, who should perform it, and who may be unsuitable. On its uses, what it writes is that tianjiu "can be applied clinically to" a range of conditions, such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, menstrual irregularity and joint pain — a description of how it is used clinically, with no efficacy data attached and no study cited [Note 6].

But the sentence in the same release describing the therapy itself ends with "so as to prevent and treat illness". Read together, the Department's position is that this is a therapy whose purpose is the prevention and treatment of illness and which is clinically used for certain conditions — not that it has been "assessed and proved effective". This article cites it to that measure and cuts neither sentence.

⚠️ The Chinese and English versions of that same release do not agree on these sentences, and the difference falls exactly between "use" and "efficacy". The Chinese governs.

The English turns "can be applied to" into "treat", narrows "prevent and treat" to "prevent", and collapses "moxibustion" into "acupuncture". All three are the English version's wording; the Chinese original is what governs. The third matters most to your wallet — it is precisely the Chinese word for moxibustion that points at the item on the fee schedule 2.5 times apart from "acupoint application".

Class 2: a public body's service arrangements. The Authority's sanfu tianjiu service arrangement for 2026 is about which district, which address, which telephone number and which day. It lists no indications, no efficacy and no unsuitable persons. A service timetable is only a service timetable.

Class 3: the same public body, on another page of its own, does speak about efficacy. The Authority's tianjiu explainer writes in its own voice that the benefits are that the procedure is simple, convenient, safe, quick and effective; that it is good for conditions of deficiency and cold, and particularly good for allergic rhinitis and asthma [Note 7].

The same page, describing the therapy itself, includes a sentence whose first half is the part a reader most needs to see: that the medicinal irritant action causes local congestion of the skin at the acupoint, and even blistering, through which the regulating action of the meridians mobilises the body's immune function.

In other words, a skin reaction is part of the mechanism in the Authority's own description, not something unexpected. But that does not mean "ignore whatever you see" — the same page has a separate passage on what counts as a normal reaction, and the Department of Health states that anyone feeling unwell during the procedure should seek medical attention at once. That sentence also explains why the same page's "may not be suitable" list includes diabetes and skin that is prone to sensitivity.

⚠️ So "the Authority does not endorse its efficacy" is not accurate. The accurate statement is that the Authority's service notice makes no efficacy claim while the Authority's explainer page does — and that page likewise cites no clinical trial, systematic review or data. It is a piece of popular explanation, not an efficacy assessment.

Class 4: a service provider's own list of indications. Pok Oi Hospital (one of the ten operating organisations, running four districts) lists three groups of indications on its own tianjiu therapy page, the first two items of the first group being asthma and chronic bronchitis [Note 8].

That list is far longer than the Department of Health's single sentence, and it is the service provider's account rather than the Government's. As for "treating winter illness in summer", the words the organisation itself uses are "traditional health-preserving therapy" and "theoretical basis" — this is a statement of traditional theory, not a demonstrated physiological mechanism.

This article cites no clinical trial, systematic review or efficacy data, and treats none of the passages above as evidence of efficacy.

---

#Five names, five scopes, and they are not synonyms

This bears directly on how you read a price list.

There is also a term in common use, 「三伏貼」: the Department of Health's release, the Authority's service notice, the Authority's tianjiu explainer, the Chinese Medicine Hospital's two fee schedules and Pok Oi Hospital's tianjiu therapy page all fail to use it even once.

Tianjiu and "acupuncture" (inserting needles into the skin) are two different treatments, and tianjiu is not automatically the same as "acupoint application" on the fee schedule either. Which name is on the schedule in front of you decides whether what you are being quoted is the same thing at all.

---

#Summer sanfu tianjiu 2026: dates for 18 districts

The service period is 14 July to 24 August 2026, 42 days in all. The Authority has published all 18 districts' dates and telephone numbers together [Note 9].

The notice also sets out how these clinics are run: all 18 district Chinese medicine clinics cum training and research centres are operated on a tripartite model by the Hospital Authority, non-governmental organisations and local universities, with the non-governmental organisations responsible for daily operation.

The Tuen Mun row's last fu (4 August) and booster (14 August) are the reverse of the ordering in the other 17 districts. This article reproduces the page as published and changes nothing. The English PDF of the same notice prints the same ordering (Tuen Mun District: 3rd treatment 4 August, Booster 14 August), so this is the notice itself and the two language versions agree; it is not a transcription error. The date should still be confirmed by telephoning that clinic (2430 1309). Separately, Kwun Tong appears in the Authority's renaming notice with two numbers (3583 4114 for government-subsidised services, 3107 4113 for general enquiries), and the enquiry and booking number given on the sanfu tianjiu notice is 3107 4113.

Three distributions counted from the table above (this site's own count of the published table):

• Of the 18 districts, 17 have a last fu date that includes 14 August (a Friday), the sole exception being Tuen Mun's 4 August.
• Of the 18 districts, 13 print a booster date and 5 print a dash (Central & Western, Eastern, Southern, Wan Chai, North). So not every district has a booster — the column heading itself reads "booster fu (if needed)".
• Of the 13 boosters, 8 are set for 4 August, 2 for 3 to 5 August, 2 for 24 August, and 1 (Tuen Mun) for 14 August.

As at this article's checking date, 3 August 2026: the first fu (14 to 16 July) and the middle fu (23 to 27 July) have passed in all 18 districts. What remains is the last fu and the booster, the latest date being 24 August (a Monday, the boosters in Wong Tai Sin and Sai Kung).

---

#They have been renamed; do not look for the old name

From 1 July 2026, all 18 of these clinics use district names, the new name being "[District name] Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre" [Note 10].

Only the prefix has changed — the words "Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre" themselves have not, and the English has always been Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre. The English PDF of that notice sets the 18 old and new names side by side, and both columns end in that same English phrase.

⚠️ One more sentence in that notice is worth remembering: after the renaming, the clinics' daily operation, service arrangements and booking methods remain unchanged; patients' past medical records and information are unaffected; and the clinics will not telephone anyone about the renaming or ask for any additional personal information.

Which is to say: if someone rings you citing "the clinic has been renamed" and asks you to supply personal information, that notice has said in advance that the clinics do not do this.

The district-by-district table of old and new names is in that same renaming notice, and this site's article on Chinese Medicine Hospital charges also sets it out; this article does not repeat it.

---

#The calendar's sanfu days and the clinics' scheduled dates are two different things

The "sanfu days" of the calendar are a period; the days the clinics actually apply the treatment are another thing — and in 2025 the two plainly differed.

One comparison, two official documents, the same year (2025):

Individual clinics started earlier still: in 2025 four districts printed a first fu of 19 July (Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan, and Tai Po's "19, 21-22 July"), a day before the start of the "sanfu days" as the Department of Health gave them; Islands printed 20 July, and the other thirteen districts 21 July.

⚠️ Working the dates out from the calendar yourself and walking in may find nobody there; and using last year's dates to estimate this year's does not work either — in 2025 the 18 districts' first fu fell around 21 July, and in 2026 around 15 July.

This article does not give the calendar sanfu dates for 2026. The daily indexes of Government press releases from 15 June to 3 August 2026 contain no release about tianjiu at all; the most recent is the Department of Health's of 18 July 2025. So this article reports only the clinic dates the Authority has published, and not the 2026 calendar window.

---

#Sanjiu tianjiu: the notice may come only two days ahead

The winter round is called sanjiu tianjiu, and the column headings of the two most recent notices differ from the summer ones.

The summer 2026 notice's columns are: first fu | middle fu | last fu | booster fu (if needed). The winter 2025-2026 notice's are: first jiu | second jiu | third jiu | booster jiu. So taking the summer table to a winter notice will not line up — they are two different sets of node names.

⚠️ Note that this comparison covers those two notices only: the two earlier ones in the same series (summer 2024 and winter 2024) had no columns at all and printed every date for a district in a single cell. The format is not the same every year.

A worked sum: roughly how far ahead does the notice appear? As at 3 August 2026 the notice page carries five notices in this series. Four of them state the first day of the service period in their text, which can be subtracted from the update date they state for themselves:

The fifth (summer 2024) cannot be counted the same way, and this article does not quietly drop it: the text of that notice says only that the 18 district clinics would provide sanfu tianjiu in the summer of 2024, without a first day of service, so the figure does not exist for it. (That notice states an update date of 11 July 2024, and the earliest treatment day printed in its table is 13 July — but that is "the earliest treatment day in any district", which is not the same thing as "the first day of the service period" in the four above, so it is not folded into the range.)

⚠️ Across the four comparable notices, the lead time runs from 2 to 14 days. In winter 2024 the service began just two days after the notice. So anyone planning to have sanjiu tianjiu in winter 2026/27 should reasonably start watching that same notice page from early December, and should accept that they may get only two or three days' notice — rather than waiting for the notice before arranging leave.

As at 3 August 2026, the most recent sanjiu tianjiu notice among those listed on that page is still the 2025-2026 one (service period 19 December 2025 to 17 January 2026); the 2026/27 one has not appeared.

One precedent that will not appear in this year's notice but is worth asking about. The text of the winter 2024 notice included this: to mark the Health Bureau's first Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival, the 18 district clinics were offering a half-price concession for those aged 65 or above [Note 11].

⚠️ That was a one-off event concession in winter 2024; the summer 2026 notice does not carry the sentence, and this article does not treat it as still in force. But it establishes something: the price of tianjiu at the 18 district clinics can carry a concession for the elderly. So an elderly person (or whoever telephones on their behalf) should ask directly, along with the price: is there a concession for the elderly this season?

---

#Safety: the Authority says "safe", and the conditions are on the same page

The Department of Health's position is that before treatment a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner should assess your condition and judge whether it suits you. "Who is unsuitable" is not a list for matching yourself against [Note 12].

⚠️ That list is not exhaustive and cannot be used to rule yourself out. The reason is in the Department's own words: the sentence says some people may be unsuitable and ends with 「等」, "and so on" — both of which mark it as examples rather than an exhaustive set. And the action it gives the public, throughout, is to be assessed first by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner.

"I am not on this list" is not "I am suitable". That is worth remembering, because the tianjiu patch is itself an irritant, and the Department's release opens by noting that improper application can cause discomfort and even aggravate a condition or cause injury.

And the explainer's sentence that "in general, tianjiu is very safe" is not unconditional. The two sentences that follow it in the same passage say what counts as a normal reaction and what the "very small chance" is conditional on [Note 13].

The three conditions that page sets out are: follow the practitioner's instructions (its own example is dietary restrictions), avoid vigorous exercise, and remove the patch within the recommended time. Do all three and the page says the chance of an adverse reaction is very small; miss one of the three and the page says nothing further. This article reproduces that sentence and does not work out on its behalf what missing one would mean.

⚠️ One of the conditions is a time, and it is for you to carry out: "remove the patch within the recommended time". The Authority's service notice schedules only the day you go to have it applied; how long it stays on afterwards and when to take it off appear nowhere in that notice, and the explainer gives no number of minutes or hours either — it hands that figure back to the practitioner performing the treatment. So there is exactly one place to get it: the practitioner who applies the patch on the day.

"Blistering" appears on that page in the normal-reactions column, and it states that pigmentation may take "several weeks to several months" to fade of itself. Which is to say that the marks left on the skin afterwards can, on that page's account, stay with you for months. Anyone who wants clear skin by a particular date — photographs, a wedding banquet, anything involving water — has to factor that in.

Three things to ask, and the person to ask is the practitioner, not the registration desk:

1. How long does it stay on this time? When do I take it off?
2. Are there dietary restrictions? Anything else besides? The page gives dietary restrictions only as an example.
3. Afterwards, what counts as normal and what means finding someone at once? The page lists redness, burning itch, stinging, small blisters and pigmentation as normal reactions; the Department of Health states that anyone feeling unwell during the procedure should seek medical attention at once. Both stand, and they do not conflict — the Department's sentence covers "feeling unwell", so you need not judge for yourself whether it falls on the normal-reactions list.

---

#The two "may not be suitable" lists are not the same

The two lists overlap only on pregnant women and children under two; the other three items are particular to one or the other. The Authority adds diabetes and skin prone to sensitivity, and the Department of Health adds a Chinese medicine pattern of heat.

⚠️ Both are official sources, and this article takes the more cautious reading: if anything on either list applies to you, say so before the treatment. More importantly, the two lists together are still not exhaustive, and the closing action of both documents is the same: ask the practitioner. The Authority's page ends by reminding readers to ask their own Chinese medicine practitioner before having tianjiu.

And there is a point about where these lists are not. Of the four documents cited above, the one with the longest list of indications — Pok Oi Hospital's tianjiu therapy page — lists nobody as possibly unsuitable; nor does the Authority's 18-district service notice.

⚠️ That is to say: the two pages that read most like an invitation to go are exactly the two that do not say who should not. Both lists come from the other two documents. Anyone reading a list of indications and thinking "that describes me" should remember that the page they are reading may not carry the second half.

---

#The most important sentence here: tianjiu is not a reason to reduce or stop medication

Not one of the documents this article cites supports "having had tianjiu, I can cut down or stop my medication". The Department of Health's release never mentions any relationship between tianjiu and any current treatment; the Authority's service notice has only dates; the Authority's explainer discusses benefits, safety and constitution but never once mentions existing medicines; and Pok Oi Hospital's own page describes tianjiu as a "traditional health-preserving therapy". Four documents, and not one sentence of support.

⚠️ Why this needs a section of its own: the first two items on the list of indications reproduced above are asthma and chronic bronchitis. That is precisely the group most likely to be on long-term medication — preventer inhalers have to be used daily and produce no immediate sensation, which makes them the class of medicine people most easily talk themselves out of when they "feel better".

⚠️ Stopping a preventer inhaler on your own can turn a condition sharply without warning. Whether to adjust any existing treatment, up or down, and when to review it, is for your treating doctor or Chinese medicine practitioner to decide; having tianjiu is not in itself a reason.

---

#How to confirm that the person treating you is qualified

The Department of Health has said in terms that the public may ask to see documentary proof [Note 14] — a government department telling the public to ask.

To check, you need to know there are three lists, not one. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong publishes separately: the list of registered Chinese medicine practitioners (Part A, section 69 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance), the list of Chinese medicine practitioners with limited registration (Part B, section 85), and the list of listed Chinese medicine practitioners. The section numbers 69 and 85 are written by the Council itself on its registered practitioners page (which also cites section 53 as the basis for publishing the list); the listed practitioners page cites no section itself, and its statutory basis is section 90 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549). Each of the three lists has its own online search.

What is on the wall tells you directly which class the person belongs to.

⚠️ The Chinese and English versions differ on this point, and the difference has a practical effect on a reader. The Council's Chinese page confines a listed practitioner's titles to 「表列中醫」 and 「表列中醫師」 — the title itself states the class. The English of the same page allows a listed practitioner to use the title "Chinese medicine practitioner", which does not state the class [Note 15]. This article reproduces both versions and reconciles neither; reading the document on the wall against the Chinese version is the safer course.

How many are on each list? The Department of Health's Health Facts of Hong Kong, 2025 edition, gives the position at the end of 2024: registered Chinese medicine practitioners 8 575, practitioners with limited registration 37, listed Chinese medicine practitioners 2 079.

A worked sum (adding those three official figures): 8 575 + 37 + 2 079 = 10 691 people, of whom 2 079 are listed practitioners, or 19.4% — about one in five. The same publication gives the number of doctors as 16 533.

So "listed Chinese medicine practitioner" is not a rare marginal case but a solid fifth — which is exactly why the difference between those two documents on the wall is worth a glance as you walk into a clinic.

---

#What to do next

Ordering the material above by the sequence each source itself gives produces these seven steps. This is an order for checking and booking, not a treatment recommendation — whether it suits you is for a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner to assess.

1. Look up the dates rather than working them out. Use the table above for your district. The calendar "sanfu" window and the clinics' scheduled days already differed in 2025, and this article does not give the 2026 calendar window at all.
2. Telephone the number in the table to enquire and book. The notice itself says the public may enquire and book with the 18 district clinics; and the Tuen Mun row's ordering is the reverse of the other 17 districts, which makes telephoning to confirm all the more necessary.
3. Ask about money in the same call, and ask first which item they book it under. The seven questions above. The Authority's notice lists no charges, and the subsidised $120 has nothing to do with tianjiu.
4. Before treatment, be assessed by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner. That is the action the Department of Health gives the public; the two lists are not for matching yourself against. Say what medicines and inhalers you are using, and whether you have diabetes or skin that is prone to sensitivity.
5. On the day, ask exactly how long it stays on and when to take it off. That time is nowhere fixed in writing and only the practitioner applying the patch knows it, so ask on the spot — and ask at the same time about dietary restrictions and what counts as normal afterwards.
6. Do not change your medication. Tianjiu is not a reason to reduce or stop it: not one of the four documents cited here supports doing so. Feeling better afterwards is still not a reason to cut down an inhaler yourself.
7. Look at the wall on your way in. A registered practitioner must display a practising certificate and a listed practitioner must post a listed practitioner's notice; where there is doubt, the Department of Health has said in terms that you may ask to see the relevant documents.

---

#Frequently asked questions

When is sanfu tianjiu in 2026?

The summer sanfu tianjiu service period at the Authority's 18 district Chinese medicine clinics runs from 14 July to 24 August 2026, with dates by district in the table above (the notice page states itself updated 30 June 2026). As at this article's checking date of 3 August 2026 the first and middle fu have passed; 17 districts' last fu includes 14 August, while Tuen Mun prints 4 August; and the latest date is 24 August (the boosters in Wong Tai Sin and Sai Kung). Private clinics set their own dates, which are not in that notice.

Is tianjiu at the 18 district clinics $120? Roughly what does it cost?

It is not $120. The Authority itself lists tianjiu as a "non-government-subsidised Chinese medicine service", and that $120, the fee waiver and the rule that "vouchers and discounts do not apply to government-subsidised Chinese medicine services" all belong to government-subsidised Chinese medicine outpatient services and have nothing to do with tianjiu; the Authority's sanfu tianjiu notice lists only dates and telephone numbers, and no charges. What does publish a fee schedule is the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, and two items on it relate to tianjiu rather than one — "moxibustion", the category the Department of Health's classification points at, at a first-year $630 or $450 by grade and the same price as acupuncture on the same schedule; and "acupoint application" at a first-year $250 with no grade distinction. The two are 2.5 times apart, and the word "tianjiu" appears nowhere on the schedule, so the first thing to ask is which item the organisation books it under. The consultation fee is separate: first-year $790 with a consultant (list price $980) and $450 with a senior practitioner (list price $560). The price of one session is not the price of a course.

Does the Government accept that tianjiu works?

This cannot be answered in a sentence, because different documents are talking about different things. The Department of Health's wording is that tianjiu "can be applied clinically to" a range of conditions (with a further sentence about "prevent and treat illness"), with no study or data attached; the Authority's sanfu tianjiu service notice carries nothing but dates, addresses and telephone numbers and makes no efficacy claim; but the Authority's own explainer page states that tianjiu is "effective" and "particularly good" for allergic rhinitis and asthma, likewise citing no research; and the longest list of indications comes from a service provider, Pok Oi Hospital's own page. So "no official body endorses it" is not accurate — four documents give four accounts, this article marks the source of each, and it draws no efficacy conclusion on anyone's behalf.

Who is unsuitable for tianjiu?

There are two official lists and they are not the same. The Department of Health gives as examples infants under two, pregnant women, and patients whose Chinese medicine pattern is one of heat, and so on; the Authority's explainer lists diabetes, skin prone to sensitivity, pregnant women and children under two. Neither, nor both together, is exhaustive — the Department's sentence says "may" be unsuitable and ends with "and so on", and the Authority says "may not be suitable", both of which mark examples — so they cannot be used to rule yourself out. And the document with the longest list of indications (Pok Oi Hospital's therapy page) lists nobody as unsuitable, nor does the Authority's service notice. The two documents that do give lists close with the same action: be assessed by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner before treatment. If you feel unwell during it, the Department of Health states that you should seek medical attention at once.

How long does the patch stay on? Is redness or blistering normal?

How long it stays on is fixed nowhere in any official document; ask the practitioner who applies it. The Authority's explainer ties the "very small chance" of an adverse reaction expressly to three conditions: following the practitioner's instructions, dietary restrictions and avoiding vigorous exercise, and "removing the patch within the recommended time" — that is, the removal time comes from the practitioner and the page only tells you to keep to it. As for reactions, the same page lists redness at the site, burning itch, and stinging or small blisters in a minority as normal, and states that some people develop pigmentation which "generally fades of itself after several weeks to several months". The same page, describing the therapy, also writes "causing local congestion of the skin at the acupoint, and even blistering" as part of the mechanism. But that list of normal reactions is not an instruction to endure: the Department of Health's release states that anyone feeling unwell during the procedure should seek medical attention at once.

After tianjiu, can I reduce or stop my medication?

It cannot be treated as a reason. Not one of the four official and institutional documents cited here mentions any relationship between tianjiu and any current treatment, and not one supports reducing or stopping medication. This matters particularly to readers with asthma or chronic bronchitis, because those are the first two items on every list of indications, and a preventer inhaler is the kind of medicine that has to be used daily and produces no immediate sensation. Whether to adjust any long-term treatment is for your treating doctor or Chinese medicine practitioner to decide; having tianjiu is not in itself a reason.

How do I confirm that the person treating me is qualified?

The Department of Health states in terms that anyone in doubt about a practitioner's qualifications may ask to see the relevant documents. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong publishes three lists (registered, limited registration, and listed practitioners), and requires a registered practitioner to display a practising certificate and a listed practitioner to post a listed practitioner's notice — which of the two is on the wall reflects directly which class the person belongs to. On the official figures, the 2 079 listed practitioners are 19.4% of the 10 691 across the three lists, about one in five.

When will winter 2026/27 sanjiu tianjiu be announced?

It had not been announced as at this article's checking date of 3 August 2026; the most recent sanjiu tianjiu notice on that page is still the 2025-2026 one (service period 19 December 2025 to 17 January 2026). That series has five notices in all, four of which state a first day of service, and their stated update dates run from 2 to 14 days ahead of it (in winter 2024, just two days). The fifth, summer 2024, gives no first day of service and cannot be counted the same way. So watching that page from early December is reasonable, and you should accept that you may get only two or three days' notice.

---

#What this article does not state

• The calendar start and end of the "sanfu days" in 2026. The daily indexes of Government press releases from 15 June to 3 August 2026 contain no release about tianjiu; the most recent is the Department of Health's of 18 July 2025, which published the 2025 dates. This article reports only the treatment dates the Authority has published and does not work calendar dates out for itself.
• What each Chinese medicine clinic cum training and research centre charges for tianjiu. The Authority's 2026 notice gives dates and telephone numbers and no charges; the service charge page of Pok Oi Hospital's Sha Tin clinic (stated effective 1 April 2025) lists 13 charges, none of them tianjiu or acupoint application; and that hospital's tianjiu therapy page carries no prices either. This article does not quote the charge pages of the other nine operating organisations, and therefore does not infer from this that no Chinese medicine clinic publishes a tianjiu price.
• The amount and scope of Pok Oi Hospital's concession for the elderly and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. That page says only that a concession exists and to ask the staff; it gives no discount, no list of services covered, and does not say whether tianjiu is included. This article reports that the sentence exists and does not estimate what it is worth.
• Whether the 18 district clinics have a concession for the elderly this season. The winter 2024 notice carried a half-price concession for those aged 65 or above, stated to be an event concession marking that year's first Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival; the summer 2026 notice does not carry the sentence. This article does not treat it as still in force, nor assert that there is certainly none this season — that is a matter to ask the clinic.
• What private Chinese medicine clinics charge for tianjiu. This site has no first-hand dataset of private Chinese medicine prices, and this article does not quote prices circulating informally.
• The efficacy of tianjiu. This article cites no clinical trial, systematic review or efficacy data, and treats no organisation's list of indications or popular explanation as evidence of efficacy. Nor does this article assess whether the efficacy statements on the Authority's tianjiu explainer hold — it records only that they exist and marks them as the Authority's own account.
• Whether the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong books tianjiu as "moxibustion" or as "acupoint application". Neither of that hospital's fee schedules contains the word "tianjiu" anywhere, and no published document maps tianjiu onto either item; this article sets the two prices side by side and does not decide on the hospital's behalf. Whether one treatment equals one seasonal sanfu or sanjiu course is likewise stated in no document.
• The exact end date of the "first-year charge". The hospital's market-oriented services page states that in its first year of operation certain specified services carry a trial price at eight-tenths to nine-tenths of the list price — so "first year" means the hospital's first year of operation, and both fee schedules state themselves effective from 11 December 2025; but neither that page nor either schedule prints the last day of the concession, and each schedule ends by saying that the hospital's latest announcement governs. This article reports those two points and does not estimate an end date.
• How long the patch stays on, how far apart sessions are, and how many sessions make a course. The Authority's explainer says only "remove the patch within the recommended time" and gives no number of minutes or hours, handing the time back to the practitioner; the service notice lists treatment dates only, with no number of sessions, no interval and nothing on the consequence of missing one; and neither the Department of Health's release nor Pok Oi Hospital's therapy page mentions any of it. This article reproduces "remove the patch within the recommended time" and does not fill in a time on anyone's behalf, nor estimate how many sessions make a course. These are questions for the practitioner who applies the patch.
• Whether health care vouchers can be used for tianjiu. The Authority's government-subsidised Chinese medicine outpatient services page states in terms that "vouchers and discounts do not apply to government-subsidised Chinese medicine services", and tianjiu is not a subsidised service; Pok Oi Hospital's Sha Tin clinic charge page states at the end of its charge column that vouchers may be used, but the charges on that page do not include tianjiu. This article therefore takes neither side on tianjiu itself.
• The dates of winter 2026/27 sanjiu tianjiu. As at 3 August 2026 that notice page does not yet carry one.
• The scope of the English material. Both of the Authority's notices (the 2026 sanfu tianjiu notice and the renaming notice) have corresponding English PDFs, linked at the very end of the page's "(English Version : )" row (which is preceded by a string of older links carrying no text, easily taken for blank space). The dates, addresses and telephone numbers in both agree with the Chinese, so this article's date table has sources in both languages. But the English version does not carry the Chinese page's 「（更新於2026年6月30日）」, so where this article cites the page update date it uses the Chinese page only. As for the Authority's tianjiu explainer, that site has no corresponding English path (the /en/ version returns 404), so every rendering of it in the notes below is ours, with the Chinese original set out alongside.
• This article assesses no practitioner, clinic or organisation, and judges nobody's suitability for tianjiu — the Department of Health states that a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner should assess your condition before treatment.

---

#Notes: the official wording

Most of the sources here publish in Chinese only. Where that is so, the rendering is ours and is marked as such, with the original set out alongside so it can be checked.

[Note 1] The Hospital Authority's Chinese medicine portal, introducing the service of the 18 district clinics. The rendering is ours:

The Chinese medicine clinics were repositioned in March 2020: besides their existing "training" and "research" functions (providing training, advancing research projects and so on), they also serve as district Chinese medicine clinics providing government-subsidised Chinese medicine outpatient services. At the same time they continue to provide non-government-subsidised Chinese medicine services (tianjiu, specialist consultations and so on), giving the public more service choices. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

中醫診所在2020年3月重新定位，除肩負原有「教」與「研」（即提供培訓和推展科研項目等）的職能外，亦作為地區中醫診所提供政府資助中醫門診服務。同時，中醫診所亦繼續提供非政府資助中醫服務（例如天灸、專家診療等），為市民提供更多的服務選擇。

[Note 2] The Authority's government-subsidised Chinese medicine outpatient services page. The renderings are ours:

The charge for each service is set at HK$120 per attendance (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

每項服務每次收費定為港幣120元

Vouchers and discounts do not apply to government-subsidised Chinese medicine services (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

醫療券或折扣均不適用於政府資助中醫服務

The same page sets out who the fee waiver is for:

Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above must, at each registration, produce the original of a valid identity document and the original of a valid notification of assistance issued by the Social Welfare Department (examples below); once eligibility is verified, the charge for government-subsidised Chinese medicine services is waived (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

綜合社會保障援助（綜援）受助人及75歲或以上的長者生活津貼受惠人於每次登記掛號時，必須出示有效的身份證明文件正本及由社會福利署發出之有效受助通知書正本（例子如下），核實資格後便可豁免政府資助中醫服務的收費

[Note 3] Pok Oi Hospital's Sha Tin District Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre service charge page, the sentence between the service-period prices and the effective date (the page stating itself effective 1 April 2025). The rendering is ours:

* The hospital offers Chinese medicine concessions for the elderly and for CSSA recipients; please ask the staff for details. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

* 本院為長者和綜援人士提供中醫藥優惠，詳情請向職員查詢。

The same column opens with another sentence, that for government-subsidised Chinese medicine services "vouchers and discounts do not apply" — so "there is a concession" and "vouchers and discounts cannot be used" both hold on the same page, because they are describing two different service lines.

[Note 4] The notes to the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong's Chinese medicine treatment fee schedule. Note 1, in our rendering:

"Bundled charging" model: each treatment is charged a single combined fee, with no separate charge for the individual sub-services within the course of treatment. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

「組合式收費」模式：每項治療只收取一次綜合費用，不再就治療過程中的各項細項服務分開收費。

Note 3, in our rendering:

The above charges apply to Chinese medicine treatment services only, and do not include consultation fees, special Western medicine procedures, clinical laboratory services, drugs or other charges. The actual charge will depend on which items are used and how much of them. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

上述收費僅適用於中醫治療服務收費，並不包括診症費、特項西醫診治程序、臨床化驗服務及藥物等其他收費。實際收費將按項目的使用和使用量而定。

Note 4 states that the charges are for reference and that the hospital's latest announcement governs. Note 3 to the consultation fee schedule states that the charges there are consultation fees only, not including Chinese medicine treatment, special Western medicine procedures, clinical laboratory services or drugs, and that the actual charge depends on which items are used and how much of them. Both schedules are VER V01, effective from 11 December 2025; the treatment schedule also carries bone-setting, tuina, cupping, herbal fumigation, herbal soaking and washing, gua sha and hot compress, which are not this article's subject and are not in the table above.

[Note 5] The hospital's market-oriented services page. The rendering is ours:

In the hospital's first year of operation, certain specified services will further be offered at a trial price of eight-tenths to nine-tenths of the list price, so as to encourage members of the public with health needs to experience for themselves the diverse and professional Chinese medicine services of Hong Kong's first Chinese medicine hospital. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

於開業首年，部分指定服務更會提供原價八折至九折的體驗價，旨在鼓勵有健康需要的市民親身體驗香港首間中醫醫院的多元化及專業中醫服務。

[Note 6] The Department of Health's press release of 18 July 2025. The renderings are ours:

The Department of Health today (18 July) reminds members of the public that tianjiu therapy is a form of moxibustion within Chinese medicine acupuncture and should be performed by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner, so as to avoid causing discomfort or even aggravating a condition or causing injury. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

衞生署今日（七月十八日）提醒市民，天灸療法是中醫針灸學灸法的一種，應由合資格的中醫師進行，以免引致不適，甚至加重病情或受傷。

Tianjiu therapy stimulates specific acupoints with medicinal substances so as to unblock the meridians and regulate qi and blood, so as to prevent and treat illness. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

天灸療法是透過藥物刺激特定穴位，從而疏通經絡、調整氣血，達致防治疾病之效。

Clinically, tianjiu therapy can be applied to a range of conditions, such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, menstrual irregularity and joint pain. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

天灸療法臨床上可應用於多種病症，例如慢性支氣管炎、哮喘、過敏性鼻炎、月經不調、關節疼痛等。

The same release on the name "sanfu tianjiu": many members of the public have tianjiu during the "sanfu days", which is called "sanfu tianjiu", in the hope of better effect. And on the 2025 calendar window: this year's "sanfu days" begin on 20 July (Sunday) and end on 18 August (Monday).

[Note 7] The Authority's Chinese medicine portal, tianjiu explainer (the page carries no update date of its own; retrieved 3 August 2026). The renderings are ours:

Its benefits are that the procedure is simple, convenient, safe, quick and effective. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

好處是程序簡單方便、安全、快捷、有療效。

The medicines used in tianjiu are mostly pungent and warming, so it is good for conditions of deficiency and cold, being particularly good for allergic rhinitis and asthma, and is also very suitable for those with sensitive airways or prone to colds. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

天灸所採用的藥物多屬辛溫助陽之品，故此針對虛寒性的疾病都有好處，主要對鼻敏感及哮喘效果尤佳，另外對於氣管敏感、易感冒人士都非常適合。

The same page describing the therapy itself, quoted in full because its first and second halves say two different things:

Tianjiu therapy applies pungent, warming, yang-assisting medicines externally to specific acupoints or affected areas on particular days of the year; through the irritant action of the medicine it causes local congestion of the skin at the acupoint, and even blistering, and through the regulating action of the meridians it mobilises the body's immune function, so as to treat illness, warm the lungs and expel phlegm, and strengthen the spleen and supplement the kidneys. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

天灸療法是在一年中一些特定日子，利用辛溫助陽藥外貼於人體特定的穴位或患處，利用藥物的刺激作用，引起穴位局部皮膚的充血，甚至起泡，通過經絡的調節作用，調動機體免疫功能，達到治療疾病、溫肺逐痰、健脾補腎的作用。

The same page on the medicines' irritant quality:

The medicines used are generally pungent and warming and yang-assisting, warming the meridians and balancing yin and yang so as to strengthen immunity and reduce the chance of illness in winter. Applied to the skin they therefore have some irritant quality, such as a burning sensation. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

使用的藥物一般以辛溫助陽為主，以溫熱通經絡調整陰陽平衡，從而增強免疫力，減低冬天疾病發作的機會。故敷貼於皮膚上會有稍許刺激性如燒灼感。

[Note 8] The list of indications on Pok Oi Hospital's tianjiu therapy page. The rendering is ours:

Asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic cough, sensitive airways, weak constitution prone to colds and so on. Stomach pain, epigastric distension, chronic colitis, aversion to cold, cold hands and feet, painful periods, deficiency of qi and blood, pain in the neck, shoulders, lower back, legs and joints and so on. Chronic gastroenteritis in children, indigestion, poor appetite, sweating disorders, repeated colds and coughs and so on. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

哮喘、慢性支氣管炎、過敏性鼻炎(鼻敏感)、慢性咳嗽、氣管敏感、體虛易於感冒等。胃痛、脘脹、慢性結腸炎、畏寒、手足冰冷、痛經、氣血不足、頸肩腰腿關節疼痛等。小兒慢性胃腸炎、消化不良、厭食、汗證、反復感冒咳嗽等。

The theoretical framing on the same page, in our rendering: tianjiu is a non-fire form of moxibustion, a traditional health-preserving therapy resting on the Chinese medicine theory of "unity of heaven and humanity" and combining the two important elements of Chinese medicine acupuncture and chronomedicine; the sanfu days are the time of year when yang qi is at its height and the best time to treat winter illness in summer, while the sanjiu days are the coldest time of year, when yin reaches its extreme and yang is born, so that the effect of sanfu tianjiu can be reinforced.

[Note 9] The Authority's notice on the summer sanfu tianjiu service arrangements at the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics in 2026 (the page stating itself updated 30 June 2026). The renderings are ours:

The 18 district Chinese medicine clinics will provide summer sanfu tianjiu services between 14 July and 24 August 2026; members of the public may enquire and book with the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics, and details of the service are in the table below. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

18區中醫診所將於2026年7月14日至8月24日期間提供夏季三伏天灸服務，市民可向18區中醫診所查詢及預約，服務詳情請參閱下表。

(updated 30 June 2026) (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

（更新於2026年6月30日）

All 18 district Chinese medicine clinics cum training and research centres (Chinese medicine clinics) are operated on a tripartite model by the Hospital Authority, non-governmental organisations and local universities, with the non-governmental organisations responsible for daily operation, providing Chinese medicine services to the public. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

全港18區中醫診所暨教研中心（中醫診所）是由醫院管理局、非政府機構及本地大學以三方協作模式營運，由非政府機構負責日常運作，為市民提供中醫服務。

The 2025 notice in the same series states that the 18 district clinics would provide summer sanfu tianjiu between 19 July and 20 August 2025 (the page stating itself updated 11 July 2025). The winter 2025-2026 notice states that the 18 district clinics would provide winter sanjiu tianjiu between 19 December 2025 and 17 January 2026 (the page stating itself updated 11 December 2025).

[Note 10] The Authority's renaming notice. The renderings are ours:

To align with the Government's Chinese medicine policy, from 1 July 2026 (Wednesday) the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics cum training and research centres (Chinese medicine clinics) will be named uniformly by district, the new name being "[District name] Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre", so as to reflect more clearly their district-based, public-serving positioning and direction of development. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

為配合政府中醫藥政策，由2026年7月1日（星期三）起，18區中醫診所暨教研中心（中醫診所）將統一以地區命名，新名稱為「［地區名稱］中醫診所暨教研中心」，以更清晰反映以地區為本、服務市民的定位及發展方向。

After the renaming, the Chinese medicine clinics' daily operation, service arrangements and booking methods will remain unchanged. Patients' past medical records and information will be unaffected, and the Chinese medicine clinics will not telephone anyone about the renaming or request any additional personal information. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

改名後，中醫診所的日常運作、服務安排及預約方法會維持不變。求診者過往的醫療紀錄及資料均不會受影響，中醫診所亦不會就更名致電或要求市民提供任何額外個人資料。

The first line of the English PDF is dated 26 Jun 2026.

[Note 11] The text of the winter 2024 notice. The rendering is ours:

In addition, to mark the Health Bureau's first "Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival", the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics are offering on this occasion a half-price concession for those aged 65 or above, so as to encourage the elderly to build healthy lifestyles and to raise awareness of preventive treatment in Chinese medicine. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

此外，為響應醫務衞生局首屆「香港中醫藥文化節」，18區中醫診所亦於今次活動特別推出65歲或以上長者半價優惠，以鼓勵長者建立健康生活方式及提升對中醫治未病的認識。

[Note 12] The Department of Health's release of 18 July 2025 on suitability. The renderings are ours:

In Hong Kong, tianjiu should be performed by a professionally qualified Chinese medicine practitioner. The Department of Health urges members of the public to have their condition assessed by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner before receiving tianjiu therapy, so as to judge whether the treatment is suitable for them. Some people may be unsuitable for tianjiu, for example infants under two, pregnant women, and patients whose Chinese medicine pattern is one of heat, and so on. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

在香港，天灸應由具專業資格的中醫師操作。衞生署呼籲市民在接受天灸療法前，應先由合資格的中醫師評估身體狀況，以判斷是否適合接受療程。有部分人士可能不適合接受天灸，例如兩歲以下幼兒、孕婦、中醫辨證屬熱證的患者等。

Furthermore, before receiving tianjiu therapy one should also understand the treatment procedure, the potential risks and the precautions. Anyone feeling unwell during tianjiu therapy should seek medical attention at once. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

此外，在接受天灸療法前，亦應先了解清楚治療程序、潛在風險和注意事項等。如在進行天灸療法期間感到不適，應立即尋求醫護人員的診治。

The corresponding passage in the Authority's explainer, in our rendering:

A person's constitution is a very important factor; if the constitution does not suit, the effect may be the opposite of what is wanted. Furthermore, patients with certain conditions, such as diabetes or skin prone to sensitivity, as well as pregnant women and children under two, may not be suitable for tianjiu. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

個人體質是很重要的因素，如果體質不符可能會適得其反。另外，部份疾病患者如糖尿病、皮膚易敏感、孕婦、兩歲以下的小兒都未必適合進行天灸。

That page closes by reminding readers to ask their own Chinese medicine practitioner before having tianjiu.

[Note 13] The explainer's two sentences on normal reactions and the conditions for safety. The renderings are ours:

Normal reactions: the application site generally becomes red, with a burning itch, and a minority of patients feel stinging or develop small blisters. Some people develop pigmentation at the site, which generally fades of itself after several weeks to several months. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

正常反應：敷貼處一般會出現皮膚發紅，灼熱痕癢，少數求診人會感到刺痛或起小水泡。部份人會於敷貼處出現色素沉著，一般數星期至數月後會自行消退。

So long as the practitioner's instructions are followed — dietary restrictions, avoiding vigorous exercise and so on — and the patch is removed within the recommended time, the chance of an adverse reaction is very small. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

只要遵從醫師的叮囑，例如戒口、避免劇烈運動等，並於建議時間內除藥，出現不良反應的機會是十分少。

[Note 14] The Department of Health on confirming qualifications. The rendering is ours:

Before receiving tianjiu therapy, members of the public should first confirm the service provider's qualifications as a Chinese medicine practitioner, and should on no account let anyone not registered or recognised as a medical professional perform tianjiu. Such persons' professional qualifications and standard are unverified, the safety and therapeutic effect of the services they provide are questionable, and they may aggravate a condition or injure the person treated. Anyone in doubt about a Chinese medicine practitioner's qualifications in Hong Kong may ask that person to produce the relevant documentary proof. The lists of registered and listed Chinese medicine practitioners are on the website of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (www.cmchk.org.hk) for public inspection. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

市民在接受天灸療法前，應先確認服務提供者的中醫師資格，切勿隨便讓未經醫療專業註冊或認可的人士施行天灸。此類人士的專業資格和水平未獲確認，提供的服務安全性和治療效用存疑，有可能加重病情或令接受治療的人受傷。市民如對香港中醫的執業資格有疑慮，可要求有關人士出示相關證明文件。註冊及表列中醫名單已上載至香港中醫藥管理委員會網頁（www.cmchk.org.hk），供公眾查閱。

[Note 15] The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong on titles. Its Chinese page, in our rendering:

A registered Chinese medicine practitioner may use the titles 「香港中醫藥管理委員會註冊中醫」, 「香港中醫藥管理委員會註冊中醫師」, 「註冊中醫」 and 「註冊中醫師」. A registered Chinese medicine practitioner must display the practising certificate in a conspicuous place at the practice or clinic, so that the public can identify them. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

註冊中醫可使用「香港中醫藥管理委員會註冊中醫」、「香港中醫藥管理委員會註冊中醫師」、「註冊中醫」及「註冊中醫師」名銜。註冊中醫須於執業處所或診所內明顯的地方展示註冊中醫執業證明書，以便市民識別。

A listed Chinese medicine practitioner may use the titles 「表列中醫」 and 「表列中醫師」. A listed Chinese medicine practitioner must post the listed practitioner's notice in the clinic, so that the public can identify them. (our translation from the Chinese original)

Chinese original:

表列中醫可使用「表列中醫」及「表列中醫師」名銜。表列中醫須在診所張貼表列中醫通知書，以便市民識別。

The English of the same page:

Listed Chinese medicine practitioners can use the title of "Chinese medicine practitioner" in their practice.

That English title does not state the class; the Council's Chinese wording is above. On numbers, the Department of Health's Health Facts of Hong Kong, 2025 edition, at the end of 2024: registered Chinese medicine practitioners 8 575, practitioners with limited registration 37, listed Chinese medicine practitioners 2 079 (the same table in English: Registered Chinese medicine practitioners 8 575; Chinese medicine practitioners with limited registration 37; Listed Chinese medicine practitioners 2 079); and the same publication gives the number of doctors as 16 533.

---

#Sources and dates checked

• Government press release, "DH reminds public that tianjiu therapy should be performed by qualified Chinese medicine practitioners" (tianjiu as a form of moxibustion within Chinese medicine acupuncture; the description of the therapy and the phrase "so as to prevent and treat illness"; "can be applied clinically to" a range of conditions; the 2025 sanfu dates; the naming of "sanfu tianjiu"; being assessed by a qualified practitioner before treatment; infants under two, pregnant women and patients whose pattern is one of heat and so on possibly being unsuitable; understanding the procedure and risks; seeking care at once if unwell; being able to ask for documentary proof; the Chinese Medicine Council's lists): https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202507/18/P2025071800337.htm, 2025-07-18. The corresponding English version (which supports the three wording differences set out in this article: can be used to treat / to prevent illness / a kind of Chinese Medicine Acupuncture treatment): https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202507/18/P2025071800784.htm. Both retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, service arrangements for summer sanfu tianjiu at the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics in 2026 (service period 2026-07-14 to 2026-08-24; addresses, enquiry and booking telephone numbers and first, middle, last and booster fu dates for all 18 districts; the statement of tripartite operation; the page's stated update date of 2026-06-30): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice/tianjiu2026; the English PDF, "Service Arrangement for Summer Sanfu Tianjiu 2026" (the same set of dates, including Tuen Mun's 3rd treatment 4 August and Booster 14 August): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/docs/default-source/default-document-library/summer-tianjiu-2026.pdf, both retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, service arrangements for summer sanfu tianjiu at the 18 district clinics in 2025 (the 2025 service period of 19 July to 20 August; Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan and Tai Po printing a first fu of 19 July in 2025, and Islands 20 July; the page's stated update date of 2025-07-11): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice/tianjiu2025, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, service arrangements for winter sanjiu tianjiu at the 18 district clinics in 2025-2026 (service period 2025-12-19 to 2026-01-17; columns of first, second and third jiu and booster jiu; the page's stated update date of 2025-12-11): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice/winter_tianjiu2025-2026, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, winter sanjiu tianjiu at the 18 district clinics in 2024 (service from 2024-12-20 and running to 2025-01-18; the half-price concession for those aged 65 or above and its "Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival" context; a single column of winter sanjiu tianjiu dates; the page's stated update date of 2024-12-18): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice/dongjiu2024, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, summer sanfu tianjiu at the 18 district clinics in 2024 (the text saying only that sanfu tianjiu would be provided in the summer of 2024, with no first day of service; a single column of summer sanfu tianjiu dates; the page's stated update date of 2024-07-11): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice/tianjiu2024, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, tianjiu explainer (the full sentence defining the therapy, including "through the irritant action of the medicine it causes local congestion of the skin at the acupoint, and even blistering"; "its benefits are that the procedure is simple, convenient, safe, quick and effective"; the full sentence containing "particularly good for allergic rhinitis and asthma"; the medicines' irritant quality and burning sensation; "in general, tianjiu is very safe"; the normal-reactions passage — redness, burning itch, stinging or small blisters, and pigmentation which "generally fades of itself after several weeks to several months"; "so long as the practitioner's instructions are followed, such as dietary restrictions and avoiding vigorous exercise, and the patch is removed within the recommended time, the chance of an adverse reaction is very small"; constitution, and diabetes, skin prone to sensitivity, pregnant women and children under two possibly being unsuitable; the closing reminder to ask one's own practitioner; the page giving no specific removal time; the page carrying no update date of its own; the English path /en/information-index/news/hp/tianjiu returning 404): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/information-index/news/hp/tianjiu, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, notices of the Chinese medicine clinics cum training and research centres (the list of notices; as at retrieval, no notice for winter 2026/27 sanjiu tianjiu): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, standardised naming arrangement for the 18 district Chinese medicine clinics cum training and research centres (uniform naming by district from 2026-07-01 as "[District name] Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre"; daily operation, service arrangements and booking methods unchanged; no telephone calls or requests for additional personal information about the renaming; the 18 districts' old and new names, addresses and telephone numbers): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/notice/CMCTR_renaming; the English PDF, "Standardised Naming Arrangement for the 18 Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres" (first line dated 26 Jun 2026; the 18 districts' old and new names side by side, both columns ending in Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/docs/default-source/default-document-library/cmctr-renaming_eng, both retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, Chinese medicine clinics cum training and research centres (the tripartite model, the repositioning of March 2020, and tianjiu as a "non-government-subsidised Chinese medicine service"): https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/about/about-service, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority Chinese medicine portal, government-subsidised Chinese medicine outpatient services ("the charge for each service is set at HK$120 per attendance"; "vouchers and discounts do not apply to government-subsidised Chinese medicine services"; the fee waiver arrangements and documents required for CSSA recipients and Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, the Chinese page carrying the "aged 75 or above" condition in both places; the difference between the Chinese and English in the name of the allowance, the English being Higher Old Age Living Allowance (Aged 75 or above)): Chinese https://cmk.ha.org.hk/zh-cht/services/GovtSubsidisedCMServices; English https://cmk.ha.org.hk/en/services/GovtSubsidisedCMServices, both retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Hospital Authority, List of Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres (CMCTRs) (the 18 districts' current Chinese and English names, addresses, telephone numbers and service hours): Chinese https://www.ha.org.hk/visitor/ha_view_content.asp?Parent_ID=10082&Content_ID=277146&Dimension=100&Lang=CHIB5; English https://www.ha.org.hk/visitor/ha_view_content.asp?Parent_ID=10082&Content_ID=277146&Dimension=100&Lang=ENG, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, market-oriented services charge page (the design of market-oriented charging on "simple itemised charging" and "bundled charging" principles; "in the hospital's first year of operation, certain specified services will further be offered at a trial price of eight-tenths to nine-tenths of the list price, so as to encourage members of the public with health needs to experience for themselves the diverse and professional Chinese medicine services of Hong Kong's first Chinese medicine hospital"; both fee schedule PDFs used in this article were obtained from this page): https://www.cmhhk.org.hk/tc/fees_and_charges/Add-On_Market_Oriented_Services/, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, market-oriented Chinese medicine treatment fee schedule (moxibustion first-year $630 / $450 against list prices $700 / $500, charged by practitioner grade and the same price as acupuncture on the same schedule; acupoint application first-year $250 against a list price of $280, listed under "other Chinese medicine treatments" with no grade distinction; note 1 on the "bundled charging" model; note 3 excluding consultation fees and stating that the actual charge depends on which items are used and how much of them; note 4 that the hospital's latest announcement governs; charges effective from 11 December 2025; VER V01; the word "tianjiu" appearing nowhere in it): https://www.cmhhk.org.hk/upload/addon/32/doc2/中醫治療.pdf, obtained via https://www.cmhhk.org.hk/tc/fees_and_charges/Add-On_Market_Oriented_Services/, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, market-oriented consultation fee schedule (Chinese medicine consultation: consultant first-year $790 against a list price of $980, senior practitioner first-year $450 against a list price of $560; note 3 that the charges are consultation fees only and do not include Chinese medicine treatment and the rest; charges effective from 11 December 2025; VER V01; the word "tianjiu" appearing nowhere in it): https://www.cmhhk.org.hk/upload/addon/44/doc2/診症.pdf, obtained via https://www.cmhhk.org.hk/tc/fees_and_charges/Add-On_Market_Oriented_Services/professional_services/consultation/, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Pok Oi Hospital Chinese medicine services, tianjiu therapy page (the three groups of indications; the expressions "non-fire moxibustion", "traditional health-preserving therapy", "unity of heaven and humanity", and the accounts of the sanfu and sanjiu days; "all our Chinese medicine clinics and training and research centres provide tianjiu; please contact the staff of each centre for details"; no prices on the page): https://cms.pokoi.org.hk/treatment_05, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Pok Oi Hospital, Sha Tin District Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (13 service charges, among them neither tianjiu nor acupoint application; the government-subsidised $120 and "vouchers and discounts do not apply"; "the hospital offers Chinese medicine concessions for the elderly and for CSSA recipients; please ask the staff for details"; the note at the end of the charge column that vouchers may be used; charges effective from 1 April 2025): https://cms.pokoi.org.hk/clinic_information/clinic_details/3, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, list of registered Chinese medicine practitioners (sections 53, 69 and 85 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance; the registered practitioner titles; the requirement to display the practising certificate): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/main_rdoctor_choice.htm; list of listed Chinese medicine practitioners (the listed practitioner titles; the requirement to post the listed practitioner's notice): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/main_ldoctor_choice.htm; the corresponding English page: https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/eng/main_ldoctor_choice.htm. The sections of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), section 90 being "lists to be kept by the Practitioners Board", the statutory basis for the list of listed practitioners: https://www.cmchk.org.hk/chi/main_ord_cap549.htm, which links to the full text at https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap549!zh-Hant-HK@2018-06-28T00:00:00/s90. The online searches: registered practitioners https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/cmp_search.php?t=rdoctor, practitioners with limited registration https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/cmp_search.php?t=rldoctor, listed practitioners https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/cmp_search.php?t=ldoctor. All retrieved 2026-08-03.
• Department of Health, Health Facts of Hong Kong, 2025 edition (Health Facts of Hong Kong 2025 Edition) (registered healthcare professionals at the end of 2024: registered Chinese medicine practitioners 8 575, practitioners with limited registration 37, listed Chinese medicine practitioners 2 079, doctors 16 533): Chinese https://www.dh.gov.hk/tc_chi/statistics/statistics_hs/files/2025.pdf; English https://www.dh.gov.hk/english/statistics/statistics_hs/files/2025.pdf, retrieved 2026-08-03.
• The daily indexes of Government press releases (supporting this article's statement that there was no tianjiu release in 2026): the daily index page URL takes the form https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/YYYYMM/DDc.htm, covering the 50 days from 15 June to 3 August 2026; the comparison day https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202507/18c.htm (which carries the Department of Health's tianjiu release). All retrieved 2026-08-03.

This article was written from the sources listed above. It sets out the dates, the charging clues and the safety advice as officially published; whether tianjiu suits you, it does not answer — the Department of Health states that a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner should assess your condition before treatment.

---

#Further reading

• On this platform: the article on Chinese Medicine Hospital charges
• Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (searches of the three lists): cmchk.org.hk