A path to healing for an Indonesian TCM student

LANZHOU — At the clinic of the Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Sevira Putri Purnama Lumarso, a 22-year-old Indonesian, carefully locates acupuncture points and inserts needles for a patient.

The student from Semarang, Indonesia, came to China in 2023 to pursue a bachelor's degree in traditional Chinese medicine at the medical university, under sponsorship from the Gansu provincial government.

Her three years of theoretical study and clinical practice have equipped her with core TCM competencies, enabling her to apply the four diagnostic methods: observation, listening and smelling, inquiry, and touch.

Sevira's interest in TCM is deeply rooted in her family history. Her grandfather was born in Fuzhou, the capital of East China's Fujian province, and later moved with his family to Indonesia.

Despite living abroad, her grandfather continued to rely on TCM as his primary form of healthcare, a practice he had maintained during his time in China. Whenever a family member fell ill, he would often turn to treatments such as acupuncture.

"When I was a child, I thought this ancient medical art that could relieve pain was really magical." She adds that it was this childhood memory that inspired her to pursue her dream of studying TCM in China.