Museum of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Museum of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

The Museum of Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (also known as the “Yifu Science Building”) was established in 1990, with a total construction area of 3,160 square meters and an exhibition area of approximately 1,500 square meters. The museum is located on the third and fourth floors of the Yifu Science Building. The third floor is the Comprehensive Chinese Herbal Medicine Exhibition Hall, showcasing a wide array of valuable Chinese medicinal materials such as horse bezoar, musk, and lingzhi mushrooms, while the fourth floor is the Chinese Medical History Exhibition Hall.

The Museum of Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (also known as the “Yifu Science Building”) was established in 1990. With a total construction area of 3,160 square meters, it is a modern building. The museum is divided into two sections: the Chinese Herbal Specimen Hall and the Chinese Medical History Hall. The Chinese Herbal Specimen Hall covers an area of 1,500 square meters, and the Chinese Medical History Hall spans 800 square meters.

The 1,500-square-meter Chinese Herbal Specimen Hall of the Museum of Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine brings together the essence of traditional Chinese medicine. From medicinal plant specimens to prepared herbal slices, from raw medicinal materials to pills and powders, visitors are treated to an overwhelming display. Strolling through the Chinese Medical History Hall, one can sense its grandeur and depth. Perhaps the depiction of Bian Que practicing medicine on Han Dynasty stone reliefs carries a touch of legend, but the statues of famous physicians throughout the ages truly symbolize the inheritance and development of Chinese medicine. As for the sand table models, replica Song Dynasty acupuncture bronze figures, traditional Chinese medicine copper surgical tools, and medical instruments used by ethnic minorities—

along with medical books published during the Ming Dynasty—they all bear concrete testament to the profound significance of traditional Chinese medicine to the survival and rise of the Chinese nation. Standing in the spacious hall of the museum, one may unconsciously become immersed in the grand traditional Chinese painting “Autumn Scenery of the Yan Mountains,” listening to how pulse diagnosis was practiced during the era of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, visiting Dong Feng who rested under a fruitful apricot grove, feeling the dedication and hardships of Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Sun Simiao, and Li Shizhen, and grasping the profound philosophy beyond the scientific definitions in the “Compendium of Materia Medica.” When you leave this ocean of treasured collections, you may come to realize that the museum has built a brand-new digital platform using internet technology. No matter where you are in the world, moving your mouse and typing on your keyboard will grant you access to the museum’s collection, exhibition, and educational data, thereby benefitting more people as they explore and study the ancient heritage of Chinese medicine. The museum staff have integrated the science of Chinese medicine into the bright light of the 21st century, spreading its brilliance across the world.

Architectural Features

The main structure consists of four floors: the first floor is a lecture hall, the second and the eastern half of the third floors house the Chinese Medical History Exhibition Hall, while the western half of the third floor and the fourth floor are dedicated to the Chinese Herbal Exhibition Hall. It also includes a Chinese Herbal Resources Research Office equipped with laboratories, research rooms, specimen identification rooms, and specimen preparation rooms for student and faculty experiments.

Chinese Medical History Exhibition Hall

With an exhibition area of 800 square meters, the hall primarily displays historical medical artifacts from various dynasties. Through text, illustrations, charts, and models, it recreates the development of traditional Chinese medicine. The exhibition is divided into 10 sections, including the origins of medicine, early healthcare practices, and the establishment of medical theoretical systems. Over 1,000 pieces (or types) of medical relics, statues, models, paintings, rubbings, photographs, medical tools, and ancient medical texts are displayed. The collection includes more than 930 historical medical artifacts, over 200 kinds of ancient thread-bound medical books, and more than 6,000 volumes of traditional Chinese medical publications. Among them are the Han Dynasty stone relief of Bian Que practicing medicine, statues of famous physicians throughout history, sand table models, replica Qing Dynasty acupuncture bronze figures, traditional Chinese medicine copper surgical instruments, medical tools of ethnic minorities, and Ming Dynasty medical books. The exhibition hall is primarily used for teaching, with scheduled classes for students of Chinese medicine, accompanied by on-site explanations from museum-appointed teachers. It also offers Chinese and English versions of films, videotapes, slides, and multilingual reference books on Chinese medicine for visitors.

Chinese Herbal Exhibition Hall

Formerly known as the “Chinese Herbal Specimen Room,” it mainly serves the university’s teaching needs. The exhibition area spans 1,500 square meters and is divided into five sections: the Comprehensive Chinese Herbal Exhibition Hall, Medicinal Plant Specimen Room, Chinese Herbal Specimen Room, Prepared Herbal Slices and Patent Medicine Display Room, and Medicinal Animal Exhibition Cabinet. It displays over 600 commonly used Chinese herbs, houses over 3,000 species (more than 12,000 specimens) of medicinal plants, 2,500 types of Chinese herbal specimens, over 2,000 varieties of various prepared herbal slices, over 1,000 types of patent medicines, nearly 200 prepared and preserved medicinal animal specimens, and hundreds of color photographs of medicinal plants.

Exhibition Halls in the Museum

The Chinese Medical History Exhibition Hall boasts a rich collection, including more than 900 historical medical artifacts, over 200 kinds of ancient thread-bound medical books, and over 6,000 volumes of traditional Chinese medical publications. The exhibition hall is organized around the formation and development of Chinese medicine, divided into ten major sections such as the origins of Chinese medicine, new developments in medicine, and major achievements in Chinese medicine.

The Chinese Herbal Exhibition Hall comprehensively showcases various aspects of the Chinese herbal system on a grand scale. It mainly includes: the Comprehensive Chinese Herbal Exhibition Hall and the Chinese Herbal Specimen Room. The collection includes 3,000 species (12,000 specimens) of plant herbariums, 2,500 types of Chinese herbal specimens, over 600 varieties (approximately 1,000) of various prepared herbal slices, over 1,000 types of patent medicines, nearly 200 prepared and preserved medicinal animal specimens, and hundreds of color photographs of medicinal plants.

Treasures of the Museum

Animal Gallstone – Horse Bezoar

Stepping into the Comprehensive Chinese Herbal Exhibition Hall on the third floor of the museum, the first things you see are not the well-developed ginseng roots or the oddly shaped polygonum multiflorum, but exquisitely crafted and lifelike animal specimens. It almost feels like you’ve wandered into a natural history museum rather than a museum of Chinese medicine. Museum instructor Mr. Lu told us: “The sources of Chinese medicinal materials are divided into three major categories: animals, plants, and minerals. These specimens simply and visually demonstrate the importance of animals as sources of Chinese medicine.”

Looking around the exhibition hall, you’ll find that the plant specimens in glass containers remain “delightfully colorful.” With their red flowers and green leaves, they bring a touch of spring to the Beijing winter. “These are plant specimens preserved using special solvents, which can typically maintain their color for 20 to 30 years,” Mr. Lu explained. At the entrance of the exhibition hall, a smooth, glossy stone with a pale blue hue and fine streaks catches the eye. “This is horse bezoar, a gallstone formed in the gastrointestinal tract of horses. Animal gallstones have medicinal properties such as detoxification, clearing the orifices, calming the nerves, and resolving phlegm. The horse bezoar in our collection is extremely precious—it has a diameter of 11 centimeters and weighs 1,150 grams, which is very rare!” Mr. Lu pointed to the stone-like “horse bezoar.” It turns out that animal gallstones can indeed be used in medicine. In fact, the famous “Tongrentang Angong Niuhuang Pills” contain niuhuang, which is the gallstone of a cow, while the commonly mentioned “goubao” refers to the gallstone found in a dog’s stomach. These animal-derived medicinal ingredients are generally quite expensive.

Replica Song Dynasty Acupuncture Bronze Figure

Upon entering the Medical History Exhibition Hall on the fourth floor, you’ll immediately be drawn to the restored ancient pharmacy at the entrance—the signboard, counter, tables and chairs, and even the two strings of medicinal herb banners hanging at the door are exceptionally exquisite. The Medical History Exhibition Hall uses a wealth of physical artifacts to outline the development of traditional Chinese medicine in China, from primitive society and the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties through to the modern Republican era, highlighting representative figures from each period. Among the most important is the replica Song Dynasty acupuncture bronze figure standing in the center of the hall. This bronze figure stands about 1.8 meters tall, with all acupuncture points clearly marked. Its structure is ingeniously designed, consisting of four parts that can be disassembled for easy transport and reassembled seamlessly. According to Director Xi, this is a replica of an acupuncture bronze figure made by the Nanjing Museum based on the original from the Imperial Hospital during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. Historically, this bronze figure traveled with the fate of the nation, being transferred to the Palace Museum in 1925, then relocated southward with the third batch of cultural relics in the spring of 1933 and handed over to the Nanjing Museum. It returned to the National Museum of Chinese History in 1958. It is said that this bronze figure was modeled after the “Tiansheng Bronze Figure” cast by the famous Northern Song Dynasty physician Wang Weiyi, but over the tumultuous changes of dynasties and the chaos of war, the original two bronze figures cast by Wang Weiyi were ultimately lost. In ancient times, acupuncture bronze figures were used for teaching and examinations. Particularly during exams, yellow wax was applied to the figure’s surface, and then the figure was filled with water. When a student correctly needled an acupuncture point, water would flow out; if not, the needle would not penetrate. This allowed teachers to accurately assess students’ ability to locate acupuncture points and perform needling techniques, evaluating their learning progress.

Museum Collection

The Legend of Musk

Musk is actually the dried secretion from the scent gland of male deer. Approaching one display case, you’ll find the long-famous musk, which looks rather unremarkable—almost like dried persimmon cakes sold on the street. “This is musk, the dried secretion from the mature male musk deer’s scent gland. It is an extremely precious Chinese medicinal material with effects such as opening the orifices, dispelling filth, unblocking channels, and dispersing stasis,” explained Mr. Lu. He also shared a beautiful legend about the origin of musk. It is said that long ago, a father and son surnamed Tang lived deep in the mountains and made a living by hunting. One day, while pursuing a pheasant in the forest, the son fell into a ravine. The father rushed to the ravine and found his son lying on the ground, unable to move. A gentle breeze wafted through the ravine, carrying a strange, refreshing fragrance. The father tried to carry his son, but noticed the boy greedily inhaling the mysterious scent, as if his pain was gradually fading. Following the fragrance, the father found a barren patch of land nearby, from which the scent was emanating. Digging into the soil, he discovered an egg-sized, furry sac. Carefully retrieving it, he placed it in his son’s pocket and took him home. Soon, the son’s injuries healed without further treatment. Later, whenever poor people suffered from injuries, the father used musk to treat them. In fact, the sac he found belonged to the musk deer, a male animal with a scent gland in its abdomen. Since then, people have called this scent sac “musk.”

The Miraculous Herb Lingzhi

Lingzhi is actually a type of fungus with a history of over 2,000 years. The precious Chinese medicinal materials in the exhibition hall are truly a feast for the eyes. Common names from martial arts novels such as “Tianshan Snow Lotus,” “Thousand-Year Wild Ginseng,” and “Lingzhi Mushroom” are now seen in person, offering a truly eye-opening experience. Among the most captivating are the various types of lingzhi on display. There are varieties as large as washbasins, such as bitter white hoof and tree ear, as well as those resembling layered colorful clouds like cloud ear fungus, delicate and lovely sanghuang, and the purple-clad zizhu. Each is a rare and precious variety of Chinese medicinal material, listed as a top-grade herb in the “Shennong Bencao Jing” (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica) alongside musk. Unlike ordinary medicines that treat specific diseases or nutritional supplements that address certain deficiencies, lingzhi works holistically to regulate bodily functions, invigorate internal vitality, enhance metabolism, boost immunity, and normalize organ function, and it also aids in cancer prevention. However, wild lingzhi is now extremely rare, and artificially cultivated varieties have limited therapeutic efficacy. In fact, lingzhi has long been regarded as a “miraculous herb” in China. In many myths and legends, lingzhi often plays the role of reviving the dead, such as in the well-known tale “Legend of the White Snake,” where Lady White braves countless hardships to use lingzhi to revive Xu Xian.

The Hemostatic Wonder Sanqi

The herb “sanqi,” which requires three to seven years to reach full potency, is displayed in the case next to the lingzhi. According to Mr. Lu, the main ingredient in the famous Yunnan Baiyao medicine is sanqi. Sanqi looks similar to the ginger used in kitchens—bumpy and far less glamorous or mysterious than lingzhi—but it is highly effective for stopping bleeding and treating wounds. The humble-looking “sanqi” also has an interesting name origin.

Admission Fee

Free; free guided tours are available on Saturdays, while paid guided tours are offered on other open days and require advance reservation.

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30–16:30; closed on Mondays, Sundays, and national public holidays; group visits (5 or more people) must be reserved in advance.

Address: Inside Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Postal Code: 100029

http://www.bucm.edu.cn