Meanwhile, in West Jakarta, Hendra Chen takes pride in his vocational diploma in acupuncture, which he obtained from an institute of technology, science and health in Malang, East Java. After attending advanced courses in acupuncture in Beijing and Guangzhou in 2008, he opened an acupuncture clinic.

Chen said he is optimistic that acupuncture will become even more popular among Indonesia's population of 275 million, adding that it is now increasingly integrated with modern Western medicines. The 42-year-old operates five clinics in Jakarta.

"Nowadays, many people are smarter. They limit their use of medicines, but they like acupuncture, as it does not have any medicinal content," Chen said.

He distributes acupuncture needles to practitioners in the provinces, where he exchanges knowledge and experience with them and local doctors.

Chen is highly appreciative of the Indonesian government for providing ample room for TCM and acupuncture to develop.

"Sixteen years ago, acupuncture was mainly known by ethnic Chinese, but over the past 10 years, interest in it has developed among rising numbers of indigenous Indonesians," Chen said.

For many Indonesians, acupuncture is an alternative that is effective and less costly than other forms of medication, he added.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.