A healing practice used by China’s Dai ethnic group, which involves patients sleeping in beds of stir-fried herbs that cover their entire bodies, has become a wellness sensation.

So-called Herbal Sleep Therapy aims to boost blood circulation and alleviate a series of ailments.

Not only is it gaining popularity among the ethnic group, it is also becoming a favourite among tourists visiting China’s southwestern Yunnan province.

Its origins can be traced back to the Dai people’s early efforts to combat rheumatism.

The Dai ethnic minority primarily lives in the autonomous prefectures of southwestern China’s Yunnan province. It has a population of around 1.26 million people.