Chinese herbal remedy. Close-up of a bottle of a Chinese herbal medicinal remedy. Herbalism is a system of medicine in which parts of plants are used to promote health and treat symptoms. Chinese medicine is based on the theory of a universal bodily life force, Chi. This is balanced by two complimentary forces, yin and yang. Imbalances in these forces disrupt the flow of Chi, causing illness. Chinese medicine therefore aims to rebalance yin and yang. Several other bottles of Chinese herbal pills are seen in the background.