Yangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Exhibition Hall

Yangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Exhibition Hall

The Yangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Exhibition Hall was originally located within the Wu Family Residence, and later relocated to the compound of the Yangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. It is now exhibited in the public area on the west side of floors 1–4 of the outpatient and inpatient building of the hospital. It was officially completed and opened to the public in December 2012. The entire exhibition hall is integrated with the hospital — the hall is within the hospital, and the hospital is within the hall. The main body of the exhibition hall features four sections: “Hundred Herbs of China,” “The Vast River of Time,” “Ancient Sages and Masters,” and “National Treasures.”

Hundred Herbs of China section: This area mainly displays Chinese herbal medicine specimens, related artifacts, and the history of famous pharmacies in Yangzhou. As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, Yangzhou was a well-known hub for the trade of medicinal herbs. The Tang Dynasty monk poet Jiao Ran described the bustling scene with the line “Yangzhou’s noisy medicine market.” From the early Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, along with the flourishing of renowned local physicians and diverse schools of thought, Yangzhou’s herbal medicine industry thrived, with numerous shops and prestigious brands passing down secret formulas and unique pills, powders, elixirs, and ointments through generations.

The Vast River of Time section divides time using the founding of the People’s Republic of China as a milestone, primarily using photos and textual materials to showcase the historical and cultural heritage of TCM in Yangzhou. The connection between Yangzhou and traditional Chinese medicine goes back a very long way. The famous Han Dynasty physician Hua Tuo visited Guangling; his disciple Wu Pu was from Yangzhou. China’s first medical treatise on the causes and symptoms of diseases, the Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases, was written in Yangzhou. The eminent Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen, who organized Chinese medicine knowledge in Japan, also hailed from Yangzhou. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, renowned TCM practitioners were spread all over Yangzhou. The Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as the Republican era, saw the inheritance of TCM lineages becoming a widespread tradition.

Ancient Sages and Masters section mainly showcases the achievements of famous physicians throughout Yangzhou’s history. Since the 2000s, Yangzhou has produced many distinguished doctors who have shouldered the mission of “treating the illnesses of nobles and relatives above, and saving the poor and humble below.” They upheld the principle of “great physicians are sincere,” embodying the spirit of medicine as a “benevolent” art, emphasizing harmony and balance, dedicating themselves to the study of medical principles, and acting with utmost sincerity. Their stories have become legendary tales in the world of TCM.

National Treasures section comprehensively presents the achievements and influence of traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice, health preservation, education, and research. It clearly illustrates that TCM is an essential part of the splendid culture of the Chinese nation. With its remarkable clinical efficacy, rich ethnic characteristics, unique diagnostic and treatment methods, systematic theoretical framework, and vast collection of literature and historical records, TCM stands tall in the global medical community as a shared treasure of human medical heritage.

In addition, a “Hundred Herbs Garden” covering nearly 10,000 square meters has been created around the outpatient building of the hospital, featuring outdoor displays of original herbal plants. Over 200 types of medicinal plants, totaling more than 200,000 individual plants, are cultivated there, along with bluestone statues of Li Shizhen and Hua Tuo. The most distinctive feature of the Yangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Exhibition Hall’s renovation is its full accessibility — patients, their families, and visitors are all considered guests of the exhibition, which has received unanimous praise from the National Health Commission and relevant experts.