People receive application therapy at hospitals in China Wednesday, because it is the first day of the first period of this year's hot season according to the Chinese calendar.

The hot season each year is divided into three periods.

Application therapy is a method applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on a specific spot on one's body to improve or remove certain symptoms. TCM theory suggests that applying medicines during the beginning days of each of the three periods of the hot season can help ease and treat certain diseases that are most likely to occur in winter.

A boy gets application therapy at a hospital in Tianjin on July 18, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]

People line up to get application therapy at a hospital in Ningxia Hui autonomous region on July 18, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]