Fullmetal Alchemist: What is Alkahestry?

gamerant.com:

The Alchemists in Fullmetal Alchemist use Alchemy for military purposes. It has it's own feel and means of practicing. However, Alchemy is not the only technique utilized in the anime. Across the desert in the Eastern nation of Xing, their version of Alchemy is known as Alkahestry.

Rooted in connection to the Earth's energy, Alkahestrists use and practice this form in differently compared to to Alchemists. Mei Chang is the only known practicer of Alkahestry in the anime, and is Edward and Alphonse's teacher on the subject. Alkahestry is also based on real Chinese Philosophy, which make the concept interesting to learn about. So what exactly is Alkahestry?

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Alkahestry is called Eastern Alchemy, practiced by the nation of Xing. It also referred to as Rentanjutsu in the manga. Ling Yao and Mei are royals from this country. Xing is across the Great Desert from Amestris, the country of the main characters Ed and Al. Both Ling and Mei travel to Amestris to conduct research on Western Alchemy for their own respective reasons.

Xing is made up of over fifty different clans, with an emperor ruling the entire nation. A daughter from each clan leader marries the emperor and bears him children. The present emperor has twenty-four sons and nineteen daughters, making Ling the twelfth in the line of succession.

Alkahestry is predominantly used in medical practices in Xing. This is a blatant contrast to Amestris, where Alchemy is used mainly for war ever since King Bradley became the Führer. Where Amestris view Alchemy as a scientific practice, Xing sees Alkahestry as a medicinal form.

Mei says that Alkahestry is about «reading the Dragon's Pulse», which