Students at the Tibetan Traditional Medicine College read the Gyud zhi (the Four Tantras) in Lhasa, capital city of the Tibetan autonomous region. [Photo provided by the National Center for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in China]

In the Tibetan language, the word "Lum" indicates the traditional knowledge and practices of bathing in natural hot springs, herbal water or steam to adjust the balance of the body and mind, ensure health, and treat illness.

It reflects folk experiences and ancient medical classics. Its practitioners include farmers, herdsmen and urban residents, with the Manpa (physician), Lum Jorkhan (pharmacist) and Manyok (assistant) owning respective responsibilities in the practice.

The practice is inherited in the Tibetan autonomous region, as well as regions in Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Gansu provinces inhabited by Tibetans. Lum also includes traditional Tibetan astrology, rituals, religions, and many other aspects in daily life.