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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
Latest news and updates about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including Covid-19 treatments, food to eat and avoid, acupuncture, gua sha, and how TCM could help with anxiety and pain relief.
Cold-water immersion such as ice baths and cold plunges are said to come with a host of health benefits, but one possible cultural counter-current in Hong Kong could be traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Are ice baths good for you? What you need to know before taking the plunge

Ice baths and cold plunges are springing up across Hong Kong, but will traditional Chinese medicine ideas freeze them out of the market?

Vietnam

Pangolin win: Vietnam sends scale smugglers to prison for 8 years

Chinese culture

Turning walnuts into ‘jade’? Social media goes nuts over old Chinese tradition

Hong Kong economy

Ex-Hong Kong leader’s Chinese medicine platform to link mainland and global markets

Leung Chun-ying launches Hong Kong-based trading platform to boost transparency, efficiency and global reach of branch of medical practice.

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, left, and Liu Wei, secretary of the CPC Nansha District Committee, right, at the launch ceremony of the ShouChuang Traditional Chinese Medicine Trading Platform in Guangzhou. Photo: Edmond So
Food and Drinks

How Okinawan food evolved with Chinese influences to become ‘truly unique’

Long ago, Okinawa was part of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a trade hub linking Japan to Asia. Today, dishes like goya champuru reflect this history.

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Trending in China

China youth flock to TCM bars for ‘prescription cocktails’ amid ‘punk wellness’ trend

Younger generation embrace notion of ‘wrecking yourself while saving yourself’ by drinking concoctions of booze and herbs.

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Trending in China

Why Chinese pour TCM medicine dregs on roads, hope others will walk, drive over it

Folk legend has it that a man known as ‘king of medicine’ in Tang dynasty examined leftover TCM on street, came up with better cures.

Some people in China pour leftover traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) onto public roads, believing it drives away illness when walked or driven over. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu
Wellness

Luxury traditional Chinese medicine treatments are finding fans in Hong Kong

TCM treatments at Upper House, Island Shangri-La and Yun Wellness ranging from acupuncture to massage are appealing to younger generations.

Two Sessions 2026

China to launch TCM on global health mission over the next 5 years

Health commission chief says the plan is to expand the pool of medicinal plants and improve training and technology.

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Trending in China

Why ancient Chinese folk custom involved cutting thigh flesh to feed sick relatives

Extreme act of filial devotion saw raw flesh cooked for human consumption; eventually act was rewarded with tax relief, official titles.

In ancient China, a traditional folk practice involved individuals self-mutilating by cutting flesh from their thighs to treat the illnesses of close relatives, demonstrating deep filial piety. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu/Baidu
Wellness

All about TCM’s ‘miracle pill’ Angong Niuhuang Wan, and when not to take it

The prized Angong Niuhuang Wan is thought to help stroke victims if taken at the right time. But when is that, and can it harm you?

A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner checks an elderly man. According to the Hong Kong Stroke Fund, about 25,000 new stroke cases occur in the city each year. Photo: Eugene Lee
Food and Drinks

This TCM bar in China makes customers drinks based on its doctor’s diagnoses

Shanghai bar Niang Qing is one of many new traditional Chinese medicine bars that offer bespoke wellness to China’s stressed-out youth.

Ageing society

Opinion | Hong Kong should see the ‘silver economy’ as a golden opportunity

The city could reframe its ageing trend by working to become a global capital for ‘longevity finance’ and supporting East-West healthcare innovations.

Trending in China

Foreigners flock to China for cheaper medical treatment, drawn by free visa policy

Number of foreign visits to mainland hospitals spikes to 1.28 million in 2025, a rise of 73 per cent on the number 3 years ago.

Many foreigners are seeking medical treatment in China, attracted by the free visa policy and lower costs compared to their home countries. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Xinhua
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Opinion | Fee hikes are only half the equation if Hong Kong health reform is to work

If paired with viable service alternatives, clear guidance and a stronger focus on prevention, price rises could become a catalyst for real change.

Illustration: Craig Stephens
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

4 in 10 Hongkongers struggle to distinguish Chinese medicines from supplements

Our Hong Kong Foundation develops new tool to assess literacy in Chinese medicine, finds ‘moderate level’ of understanding among respondents.

Trending in China

China aunties teach qigong exercises to fliers at Cairo airport during flight delay

Foreigners join in as middle-aged Chinese women set about taking stress of travelling with pain-relieving dance moves.

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Trending in China

Chinese woman swallows raw fish gallbladder to relieve headache ends up in ICU

Fish gallbladder is ‘even more toxic than arsenic’; a few grams are capable of poisoning an individual, larger amounts are potentially fatal.

A Chinese woman swallowed a raw fish gallbladder, believing it would relieve her headache, but ended up in the ICU due to its toxins. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu/jdfy.cn
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong’s biotech hub aim advanced by pacts with national agencies

Deepening cooperation on traditional Chinese medicine and cancer research will help the city play a role in developing more effective and less intrusive treatments.

Trending in China

Self-taught China pupil impresses peers with TCM pulse diagnosis, praised online

Classmates queue up for youngster with facial expression of ‘an experienced doctor’; tells one boy ‘your problem is spicy food’.

Luxury Hotels

Welcome to Ananda, the luxury Indian retreat favoured by celebrities and royalty

India’s first luxury wellness retreat, Ananda offers Ayurvedic medical consultations in addition to yoga, meditation and singing bowl healing.

The spa pool at Ananda in the Himalayas, India’s first luxury wellness retreat, established a quarter of a century ago. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

85% of injured Hong Kong fire victims discharged, others in stable condition

Health Bureau says 67 of 79 victims injured in Tai Po fire have recovered or been discharged, while 12 are in a stable condition.

The fire at Wang Fuk Court in November claimed at least 161 lives and injured 79 others. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Wellness

Wellness gets a 2026 upgrade as ancient wisdom meets modern modalities

The Langham, Hong Kong, has a 3-part Trinity of Calm wellness journey, while The Upper House has a collab with TCM-based Chain’s Medicare Centre.

Trending in China

China aircraft carrier allows use of naked flames for TCM therapy popular with troops

Military chiefs describe flames used in cupping treatment as ‘necessary fire’; say strict fire prevention code enforced on ship.

Wellness

Need to pass gas after eating? Why taking a short walk is so good for you

‘If you take 100 steps after each meal, you’ll live to 99,’ an ancient Chinese proverb says. Here is why a post-meal walk is so beneficial.

Research backs the benefits of a post-meal walk, which triggers the contraction and relaxation of the stomach and intestines and speeds up the movement of food and gas. Photo: Shutterstock
Beauty

Explainer | What is horse oil and why is it a popular skin treatment in East Asia?

Horse oil is said to intensely hydrate skin, fortify hair, and diminish the appearance of wrinkles, but research is lacking on such claims.

Horse oil has been used for centuries to treat burned and chapped skin, and later as a beauty product. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Chinese or Western medicine? Hong Kong to help residents decide

Chinese and Western medicine each have their own strengths and ‘sometimes a combination of both is more effective’, official says.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | Hong Kong well set to raise the global bar for Chinese medicine

A new blueprint and hospital could be just the right medicine to help achieve the central government’s goals for the Greater Bay Area.

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