Stores raided as dampener is put on 'fire therapy'

Stores across Shanghai offering “fire therapy,” where alcohol soaked towels are ignited on a patient’s body, were raided and shut down yesterday.

Market and health watchdogs conducted the inspection of franchised stores of Quanjian Nature Medicine Technology Development Co.

“Fire therapy” is believed to “dredge the circulatory system.”

Stores were closed and ordered to make rectification after the Tianjin-based health product giant was accused of making misleading claims about “fire therapy” and its traditional medicines, and was also blamed for the death of a girl.

An unlicensed “fire therapy” store in Jing’an District was shut down by the district’s market supervision and management bureau and its health commission.

Inside the store on Quwo Road, “fire therapy” promotional material and about 20 Quanjian products, including ganoderma spore powder and essential oil, were found.

An employee said she had paid 7,500 yuan (US$1,093) in membership fees and attended “fire therapy” training in Tianjin.

In addition to “fire therapy,” employees also promoted health products.

The store had four to six customers receiving “fire therapy” every day since July based on its records.

A store on South Zhongshan No. 1 Road in Huangpu District was also shut down.

It was suspected of violating consumer laws after advertisements promoting the health care effect of “fire therapy” were found, according to the Huangpu District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

And a store on Nandan Road E. in Xuhui District which provided Quanjian “fire therapy” to consumers has been ordered to stop the practice and make rectification by the Xuhui District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

The store is being investigated by the market watchdog and the health commission.

In Minhang, the district’s market watchdog inspected a Quanjian store on Qixin Road which conducted “fire therapy” and sold about 20 products, including ganoderma spore powder and essential oil.

Three beds and towels used for “fire therapy” were found, together with posters promoting the effect of “fire therapy.”

The store is being investigated, according to the Minhang District Market Supervision and Management Bureau. 

But at a Quanjian pharmacy at 149 Taopu Road in Putuo District, a staff member surnamed Fang said recent media reports had hardly impacted sales.

The store sells only Quanjian’s health care products such as shampoo, capsules, shoe-pads and powders. It does not provide massage. 

Fang said she was also a loyal customer of Quanjian.

“I’m wearing the shoe-pad now,” Fang said. 

The shoe-pad, which costs 1,068 yuan, is said to be therapeutic to muscle and bones. 

Tianjin-based Quanjian, founded in 2014 with a registered capital of 400.8 million yuan, came under fire after an article on a WeChat account blamed it for the death of a girl in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The article published by account Ding Xiang Doctor said Zhou Yang, a 4-year-old girl suffering from cancer, had died after her parents stopped her chemotherapy and gave her Quanjian’s medicine.

“We were told by Shu Yuhui (chairman of Quanjian) that they had a secret anti-cancer therapy which can cure Zhou’s disease,” said the girl’s father Zhou Erli.

The girl’s disease, which improved after chemotherapy, worsened after taking Quanjian’s products for three months. Rescue efforts failed after she was sent to hospital again to receive chemotherapy.

Zhou later found promotion materials online, stating his daughter had recovered because of Quanjian’s therapy.

“I started realizing it was a pure fraud,” he said.

He had spent more than 20,000 yuan buying Quanjian’s traditional Chinese medicine products.

Zhou filed a lawsuit against Quanjian in Inner Mongolia, but lost. 

The girl died in December, 2015.

The article by Ding Xiang Doctor, titled “Health product empire Quanjian, and Chinese families under its shadow” claimed that there are a lot of accidents related in the 7,000 Quanjian “fire therapy” stores, and many clients suffered from financial losses, burns, disability and even death.

In response, Quanjian said the article was a slander and misleading. It asked Ding Xiang Doctor to delete the story and apologize.

But Ding Xiang Doctor has refused and said they would welcome any lawsuit.

The information office of Tianjin’s city government has announced a joint investigation team has been established.