Liangjiang youth turn to TCM as trendy health solution

A doctor pulse-diagnoses a girl at a free TCM clinic in Liangjiang New Area. [Photo provided to english.liangjiang.gov.cn] 

A peaceful, herbal scent spreads around the residential acupuncture clinic. Lu Tiantian lies under a blanket, and a thin steel needle is inserted into her head. She is receiving a 45-minute treatment to cure her cold. 

26-year-old Lu has been using acupuncture since it treated her depression three years ago. Acupuncture is a major healing technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where practitioners use needles to stimulate specific points on the body to balance energy flow and cure illness. 

Lu recalls that a friend's mother introduced the clinic to her after she went through several resultless psychological therapies. Her first acupuncture treatment put an end to her months-long insomnia, and she was gradually alleviated from her condition over a half-year treatment. 

She describes her clinical experiences as miraculous and says she is mentally and physically healthier now after adjusting her daily habits, as her acupuncture practitioner advised. Like Lu, many young people are inclined to consult TCM for health solutions. 

Data from Liangjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital shows that the hospital’s attendance of patients aged 18 to 26 nearly quadrupled between 2022 and October 2024. 

Yang Xun, a doctor specializing in health preservation and disease prevention, said that raising health awareness and making TCM knowledge more accessible has increased its popularity among the younger generation. 

Pressure, lack of sport, unhealthy diet, and brain exhaustion are the top problems faced by her young patients. Yang said most young people are well-educated and want to improve their health and quality of life. They believe TCM can better address their needs as it perceives the human body as an organic whole, treats the root cause rather than just the symptom, and prevents illness from resurfacing.

On Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle app that targets young users, more than 2 million notes have been posted with "Traditional Chinese Medicine (中药)" as a keyword, and over 20 million notes are related to health prevention. Many accounts, some of which are professional TCM doctors, have grown huge follower bases by sharing TCM tips, remedies, and ingredients, among other things. Food therapy and daily habits like footbaths are among the most discussed topics.

Although social media platforms help spread TCM knowledge, Yang said it's necessary to consult a doctor before following suggestions from these platforms. Instead of one-size-fits-all solutions, TCM offers tailored solutions for each patient based on their health condition, and the remedies vary in different seasons and geographic locations.