The paper reviews and analyzes the history tradition of acupuncture in different times and places, and argues that Chinese acupuncture is a tradition that has changed greatly over times in accordance with particular social and cultural conditions. In the Qin-Han times, theories and practices of acupuncture were practical and diverse; in the Jin-Yuan period, it was framed by Confucian theory. In modern times, scientization was the main ideological trend in acupuncture and its theory reform was implemented; since the 1950s, acupuncture has been going back to a traditional way, but in clinic, quite part of acupuncturists have been really practical, i.e. adopting modern methods. In the west, scientific acupuncture and traditional acupuncture are rising, and practitioners are producing their own theories. The tradition of acupuncture is constantly changing, no matter in the past, present or future.