Editor’s note: On May 12, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping went to Nanyang Medical Memorial Hall for investigation, putting forward requirements and guiding the inheritance and development of traditional Chinese medicine. At present, traditional Chinese medicine has spread to 196 countries and regions, and has become an important part of promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and other countries in the world. Every year, a large number of overseas students come to China to study traditional Chinese medicine and become overseas messengers of spreading traditional Chinese medicine. On September 10, Henan News Broadcast launched a series of reports on “the Journal to Henan of foreign traditional Chinese medicine doctors”, which tells the story of traditional Chinese medicine well and spreads the culture of traditional Chinese medicine through several overseas students who come to Henan.
Serial reports: Episode 1
Learn Traditional Chinese Medicine Well and Be a Good Cultural Messenger
【Journey of the foreign traditional Chinese medicine doctors in Henan | Wu Ming’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Skills】 The German boy born in the 90s– Wu Ming is a complete “super fan of traditional Chinese medicine”. Among the overseas students of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, his grades are very outstanding. He has applied for a master’s degree course at the beginning of autumn and will continue to study traditional Chinese medicine culture.
“My name is Wu Ming (literally means unknown in Chinese), and I was born in Dresden, Germany. In 2015, I came to China from Germany.”
The German boy in front of the reporter, with blonde hair and blue eyes, speaks fluent Mandarin. The unique charm of traditional Chinese medicine attracted him to study in Henan. In the interview, he told the reporter:“ Now many foreign patients are also aware of the magical effect of traditional Chinese medicine and are also willing to seek medical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine. They feel very magical about such a treatment as traditional Chinese medicine. And in recent years, more and more people have accepted the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.”
Wu Ming said frankly that when he was new to traditional Chinese medicine courses, he had more difficulties than expected: "Learning traditional Chinese medicine is difficult. The classical prescriptions need to be memorized. We are learning classical prescriptions just now. The clinical application depends on clinical practice, and theoretical learning is inseparable from this practical clinical experience."
During his 5-year college life, Wu Ming often went to Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Nanyang, Zhoukou and other places to explore traditional Chinese medicine culture and benefited a lot. His love for traditional Chinese medicine and his own diligence also improved his proficiency in Chinese and traditional Chinese medicine theory very quickly: “If you want to learn traditional Chinese medicine, many great doctors from ancient times till now are from Henan. Traditional Chinese medicine is a holistic concept, which is different from modern medicine. It is a very comprehensive understanding of human diseases, including health, and this is a great part of the ancient Chinese people and has a great impact on me."
Wu Ming said, he will strive to master the ancient and vibrant Chinese culture of traditional Chinese medicine. And after learning something, he will return to Germany and become a traditional Chinese medicine doctor: “I hope to inherit and carry forward the traditional Chinese medicine culture. I also hope that traditional Chinese medicine can absorb more modern ideas and create new achievements and new research results, which is very important. Inheritance and innovation are of the same importance. I hope traditional Chinese medicine can develop with the time, and can be spread to the world with more confidence.＂
Wu Ming will continue to study at Henan University of Chinese Medicine in the fall semester. There are many overseas students from all over the world here. Pan Wanqi, deputy secretary of the General Party Branch of the School of International Education of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, said: “In promoting traditional Chinese medicine to the world, overseas students play a very important role as a bridge for our School of International Education. It can be said that our traditional Chinese medicine is a bridge and link to the world and a cultural messenger for our traditional Chinese medicine culture to go abroad. As a gathering place for the training of traditional Chinese medicine talents in Henan province, we should be good at telling stories of traditional Chinese medicine, Central Plains and Zhongjing in a language that foreigners can understand, spreading the good voice of Henan and China, promoting the cultural exchange of traditional Chinese medicine between China and other countries, improving the dissemination and recognition of traditional Chinese medicine, and contributing our own strength to our strategy of strengthening Henan province with traditional Chinese medicine .”
