TCM sees rising popularity among young people

CHANGSHA -- After testing negative for COVID-19, a 30-year-old resident of Beijing continued to experience symptoms including fatigue, night sweats and chest tightness.

As Western medicine failed to produce satisfactory results, she turned to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and visited Guang'anmen Hospital, which is under the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

Thanks to TCM treatment, her symptoms gradually subsided after a week of taking the medicines. "It is impressive how one prescription of traditional Chinese medicine can effectively target various symptoms throughout the body," said the patient who asked to be identified as Mrs Qin.

Like Qin, Yao Shubin, 29, from central China's Changsha, suffered from a persistent cough even after the test result for COVID-19 turned negative. Yao's symptoms gradually eased after undergoing TCM treatment at the Hunan Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. "Traditional Chinese medicine can treat both the symptoms and underlying causes of the disease," Yao said.

Given that TCM provides various approaches to promoting wellness, a growing number of young people are seeking TCM treatments and healthcare services to maintain their health.

On Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, China's lifestyle-focused social media platform, many young users have shared how they maintain health with TCM therapy such as acupuncture and moxibustion, raking in considerable engagement from netizens.

The rising popularity of TCM is also evident in hospitals across the country. The average daily number of outpatients from January to February this year in Guang'anmen Hospital was nearly 10,000, with 36 percent of them being under 40 years old, according to statistics from the hospital.

"From what I've seen, the proportion of young patients has gradually increased from less than 20 percent to 40 percent," said Li Haixia, a doctor at Guang'anmen Hospital, adding that the growing popularity of TCM among young people indicates that TCM treatment is gaining wider recognition.

The growing influence of TCM culture among young people is attributable to good clinical experience and treatment effect, among other factors, said Zeng Songlin, a doctor at the Hunan Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

"More and more young people are realizing that TCM is closely linked to traditional Chinese culture," Zeng added.

Furthermore, the idea of preventive treatment of disease in TCM is also favored by young people. According to the TCM theories, health preservation means preserving body condition to maintain good health, prevent diseases and prolong life.

In recent years, China has made great efforts to promote and develop TCM. An implementation plan designed to further support the development of TCM during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) has been released recently by the General Office of the State Council.

The plan aims to give full play to the advantages of TCM, enhance the ability of TCM to prevent and cure diseases, and promote its scientific research.

"Traditional Chinese medicine is a national treasure. Today, TCM is more acceptable to young people, which is a sign of cultural confidence," said Zhang Di from The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine.

More efforts should be made to protect, inherit and popularize traditional Chinese medicine, Zhang added.