Expect to see and hear more about traditional Chinese medicine, the world’s oldest system of medicine, in the coming months – especially if you are in Hong Kong. Here’s why.
Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival
As China rolls out ambitious plans to expand the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) globally, Hong Kong has launched its first Chinese Medicine Culture Festival, which will run until February 2025.
The initiative was announced by the leader of Hong Kong’s government, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, in his 2024 policy address; it is one of several ways officials aim to work with the city’s TCM industry to promote its development.
At the festival’s launch, acting secretary for health Dr Libby Lee referred to TCM as “the treasure of Chinese culture”.
Hong Kong’s Health Bureau is working with 80 groups involved in TCM, from practitioners to suppliers, to host more than 200 activities – from free clinics and exhibitions to lectures and study tours. Hands-on events include guided tours in the countryside where participants can discover and plant herbs used in Chinese medicine.
What’s behind the festival? The aim is to help people young and old better understand what TCM is and how it works – and to cultivate students’ interest in it.
Hong Kong will need more people skilled in TCM. A Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint is in the works to set a vision and strategy to expand services, training, research and development, and expand the TCM industry.
Plans also include integrating TCM more widely into Hong Kong’s healthcare system. Already 26 public hospitals offer a fusion of traditional Chinese and Western medicine to treat a range of conditions. They include stroke, cancer palliative care, cancer care, and muscle and bone pain, but may be expanded to also cover degenerative and respiratory diseases.