Cross-border agreements boost Dai ethnic medicine

Cross-border medical cooperation between China and Southeast Asian countries is bringing fresh opportunities for Dai ethnic medicine, peculiar to Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Dating back more than 2,500 years, Dai medicine uses herbs and other botanicals.

Participants in the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting last week pledged measures to promote traditional medicine including hospitals sourcing more herbs, and doctor and student exchange programs.

At least one such program is already up and running.

"We have maintained frequent exchanges with medical institutions along the Mekong River, particularly with hospitals in Thailand," said Wang Xiaofei, director of the Xishuangbanna Dai Ethnic Hospital in Yunnan.

Since 2007, more than 180 staff and students have participated in exchanges between Xishuangbanna Dai Ethnic Hospital and Chiang Rai Rajabhat University in Thailand.

The Dai ethnic people live around the borders of China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and India.

"People living in these areas share similar principles on herbal medicine. Some of the treatment and pharmacological craft is the same," said Yu Labo, deputy director of the Dai Ethnic Hospital.

In February, Yunnan Province unveiled an action plan for cross-border cooperation in medicine.

Yunnan will invite more students from countries along the Belt and Road, which is short for the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, for training and internships, establish more medical institutes to train doctors in Dai medicine, and fund more research, according to the plan.

Dwindling talent has limited the development of Dai ethnic medicine, said veteran doctor Kang Langxiang.

"The theory, practice and craft have to survive. I hope more people will come to learn and carry on the centuries-old tradition," said Kang.