Modern demand on the rise for ancient practices

Wan, a 23-year-old Beijing resident, had never consulted a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, harboring a vague impression that they focus more on treating root causes rather than alleviating a patient's symptoms.

That all changed after he visited a recent pop-up TCM market organized by Beijing Andingmen TCM Hospital that provided hands-on experience of traditional healing practices and ancient wisdom.

"The event featured exhibitions on TCM culture, along with on-the-spot pulse diagnosis, herbal sachet-making workshops, and even AI-powered TCM consultations," said Wan.

"It also showed me that TCM isn't just for when you're unwell. It can also play a meaningful role in everyday health and wellness."

Across China, TCM-themed bazaars are appearing in shopping malls, pedestrian streets and even hospital courtyards, featuring a variety of easy-to-deliver TCM therapies and related merchandise.

These events, having tapped into a growing health awareness trend among young people, aim to repackage millennia-old practices to make them more accessible to a modern clientele.

Health authorities in Tianjin reported that, from September 2024 to October of last year, a series of TCM culture markets, featuring more than 2,000 medical workers from 200 institutions, drew over 500,000 visits.

During the three-day New Year holiday in early January, a TCM fair in Guiyang, Guizhou province, attracted nearly 10,000 participants, according to local officials.

Zhang Zewei, a therapist from Beijing Massage Hospital, was surprised by the overwhelming turnout at a TCM fair held last year in the Hopson One mall in Beijing's Chaoyang district.

"The line stretched so far, that it curved around the corner," he recalled. "I was busy all afternoon, conducting pulse readings nonstop. Most visitors were young office workers and college students, and there were even some senior high schoolers."

Zhang said that many complained about chronic neck and back pain linked to sedentary habits, lack of exercise and high stress.

"While these issues may not seem urgent, TCM offers practical lifestyle guidance and interventions, like acupuncture or therapeutic massage, to alleviate discomfort and prevent these symptoms from worsening," he said.

Data from the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine shows that China's TCM health literacy rate — the proportion of people with a basic understanding of TCM culture and health practices — reached 26.85 percent in 2024, rising from 12.85 percent in 2016.

"Notably, literacy in TCM-based healthy lifestyles and publicly accessible TCM methods improved in 2024, reflecting a growing trend of integrating TCM into modern daily life," the administration said.

Not only are young Chinese people showing interest, but an increasing number of foreigners living in China are also beginning to visit TCM markets, experiencing the various benefits to health that ancient Chinese wisdom can bring to the body.

For Layla Rabie, a 26-year-old Libyan television host with China Arab TV, her fascination with TCM began during childhood after she saw her mother's facial paralysis treated with acupuncture.

Now a decadelong resident in China, she has developed a habit of turning to TCM to relieve fatigue. "When I feel drained, I might take some herbal medicine or use moxibustion. It's as if my body is being reawakened by them," she said.

At a TCM fair organized by the China Disabled Persons' Federation and Beijing Massage Hospital in late January, Rabie had the opportunity to try some new TCM therapies, such as auricular plaster therapy, which involves applying medicinal patches to specific points on the outer ear.

"I was a little nervous about the plasters tickling the skin of my ear at the beginning," she said. "But it was fun, and I'm hoping that they will help me sleep soundly tonight."

Wang Nasi contributed to the story.

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn