Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of 5000 thousand years. It is a summary of the experience of the laboring people over many centuries of struggle against disease. For thousands of years it has played an important part in curing disease and protecting the health of the Chinese people, thus contributing greatly to the growth and prosperity of China, as well as to the world - wide medical knowledge.

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on its own theories and contains a unique system in itself. It holds that man and his natural environment form an organic whole; many diseases are linked with the environment. It also holds that the various parts of the human body form an organic whole. When one is ill, the whole body is affected, so that treatment should emphasize the physical condition of the individual as a whole. It is still today widely used by the Chinese people and the whole world people in treating diseases. It is an integral part of world civilization and a common benefit for all mankind.

Since the founding of New China, Chinese Government have attached great importance to traditional Chinese medicine and laid down a series of principles, policies and measures, aiming to develop traditional Chinese medicine, integrate it with Western medicine and modernize the traditional Chinese medicine. It has progressed greatly over the past thirty years and more. Quite a number of Chinese medical workers have carried out studies on traditional Chinese medicine with modern scientific knowledge and methods. They have also used combined Chinese and western medical means in the treatment of a number of difficult and complicated cases, which have all shown satisfactory results. At the same time many researchers have studied the basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine such as yin and yang, theory of zang-fu, channels and collaterals, Qi and blood, the four diagnostic methods, the principles of qigong etc, with experimental research methods resulting in considerable progress.

In recent years, more and more people are interested in traditional Chinese medicine. They would like to accept its treatment. They are interested in learning its knowledge and technique to treat patients and studying why it works. Traditional Chinese medicine as a subject has been added into teaching plan in different famous medical colleges. Traditional Chinese medicine clinics and schools are everywhere in the world and increased continuously every year. With the present development of traditional Chinese medicine, its integration with modern science and technology will surely enhance its contribution to human health.