Museum of Lingnan Medicinal Herbs, Southern Medical University

Museum of Lingnan Medicinal Herbs, Southern Medical University

The Museum of Lingnan Medicinal Herbs at Southern Medical University was established on the foundation of the former Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Specimen Hall of the First Military Medical University. Founded in 1982, the museum covers an area of approximately 350 m². In 2003, its overall layout was rationally adjusted and underwent a simple renovation, adding 896 new herbarium specimens and 237 liquid-preserved specimens, as well as 136 varieties of authentic medicinal material specimens. By 2005, the collection included over 400 commonly used TCM herbs and prepared slices, over 200 TCM preparations, 1,073 herbarium specimens, and 342 liquid-preserved specimens. The museum also features specialized displays such as commonly used Lingnan medicinal herbs, folk medicines of the Yao people in northern Guangdong, authentic medicinal materials from Sichuan, authentic medicinal materials from the northwest, precious medicinal materials and animal-derived drugs, as well as mineral drugs. There are also dedicated sections for medicinal plants from Dinghu Mountain, alpine and desert medicinal plants from the northwest, and commonly cultivated plants on campus, along with a student extracurricular research column. Medicinal materials and prepared slices are arranged according to both efficacy and medicinal parts to accommodate students from various disciplines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Pharmacy, and Pharmacology. Herbarium and liquid-preserved specimens are organized according to the Bentham & Hooker system of plant classification, consistent with the arrangement in specimen halls of institutions such as the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Sun Yat-sen University.

Over the past two decades, through the collective efforts of several generations of teaching staff, the museum has evolved into a comprehensive professional specimen hall integrating TCM herbs, prepared slices, preparations, and medicinal plants. In October 2003, it became eligible to apply for an international code. In recent years, in addition to serving as a practical learning site for students majoring in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Pharmacy, and other related fields, as well as for elective courses taken by undergraduates across all disciplines, the museum has hosted over 300 visitors for exchange and tours, including delegations from the Guangzhou Municipal Government, the Pakistani military, the Cuban military, the Louisiana Tumor Research Center in the United States, and the Hong Kong Baptist University. The museum has compiled the "Catalogue of the TCM Specimen Hall of Southern Medical University," established the "Database of the Southern Medical University Specimen Hall," and produced a multimedia courseware titled "Introduction to the Southern Medical University Specimen Hall" for teaching purposes. It has also developed a complete set of new techniques for making liquid-preserved plant specimens and is preparing to apply for a patent.

In 2006, the museum underwent another comprehensive layout redesign and specimen expansion, and was divided into eight sections: Historical Literature, Literature & Art, Authentic Medicinal Materials, Folk Herbs, Imported & Ethnic Medicines, Prepared Herbal Products, as well as additional sections such as Lingnan Fruits & Medicinal Cuisine. It was officially renamed the Museum of Lingnan Medicinal Herbs and established a corresponding website, further enhancing its role in teaching support, science popularization, and international exchange. Historical Literature Section – Literature & Art Section – Authentic Medicinal Materials Section – Lingnan Herbal Section – Ethnic & Imported Medicines Section – Prepared Herbal Products Section In addition, there is also a section dedicated to Lingnan Fruits & Medicinal Cuisine, introducing some food-and-medicine dual-use herbs from Lingnan. Historical Literature Section – Collects and displays historical materials, figures, legends, stories, and books related to Lingnan medicinal herbs, and regularly organizes public literary contests and submission activities. Literature & Art Section – Collects and displays paintings, photography, and plastic arts related to Lingnan medicinal herbs, and regularly holds public competitions in painting, photography, flower arrangement, and bonsai. Authentic Medicinal Materials Section – Showcases high-quality traditional Chinese medicinal materials, prepared slices, and common counterfeits such as galangal, plantain herb, patchouli, tangerine peel, momordica seed, dried tangerine peel, morinda root, abalone shell, fleeceflower root, amomum fruit, sea dragon, sea horse, etc. Lingnan Herbal Section – Focuses on widely used Lingnan-specific herbs such as polygonum chinense, ficus hirta, spurge nettle, hypsizigus marmoreus, ilex asprella, melicope pteleifolia, centella asiatica, wikstroemia indica, baeckea frutescens, rhodomyrtus tomentosa, helicteres angustifolia, mugwort leafeaf, eclipta prostrata, bidens pilosa, eclipta, eclipta prostrata, hedyotis diffusa, orthosiphon aristatus, lantana camara, rabdosia serra, lysimachia christinae, and others. Ethnic & Imported Medicines Section – Displays successfully introduced imported medicinal materials and ethnic medicines from various minority regions in Lingnan, such as Miao medicines: ardisia crenata, dye yam, polygonum perfoliatum, kyllinga brevifolia; Zhuang medicines: ixora chinensis, emilia sonchifolia, melicope pteleifolia, alangium chinense, oroxylum indicum, glochidion eriocarpum, urena lobata, and others; Tibetan medicines: ziziphus jujuba, benzoin, phyllanthus emblica, sandalwood, chebulic myrobalan, and medicines from the Yao people of Liannan; and others. Prepared Herbal Products Section – Showcases well-known Lingnan-produced TCM preparations represented by brands such as Chen Li Ji, Poon Goor Soo, Jingxiutang, Guangzhou No.1 TCM Factory, and Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Factory, as well as health products represented by brands like Wong Lo Kat and Lee Kum Kee. Additionally, there is a section on Lingnan Fruits & Medicinal Cuisine, introducing some food-and-medicine dual-use herbs from Lingnan.