Late lotus blooms meet TCM at Old Summer Palace

Visitors strolling among late-summer lotus blooms at Beijing's Old Summer Palace can sample herbal drinks, learn about medicinal plants, and explore traditional Chinese medicine as part of a new cultural tourism event.

The 2026 Haidian District Traditional Chinese Medicine Cultural Tourism Consumption Season opened on Aug 29 at the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park, also known as the Old Summer Palace.

The event is part of Beijing's broader campaign to promote traditional Chinese medicine through cultural and tourism experiences.

Held amid the park's gardens and lotus ponds, the event brings together health services, traditional crafts, herbal products, and digital technologies, turning professional medical knowledge into experiences visitors can participate in.

A cultural market and science popularization exhibition feature six themed sections covering health education, medical services, intangible cultural heritage, digital innovation, and cooperation among institutions in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province.

Doctors and medical staff from the Beijing Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and other medical institutions offer pulse examinations and health consultations, providing advice on concerns ranging from neck, shoulder and back pain to chronic conditions, sleep problems and seasonal diets.

Traditional crafts are also a major attraction.

Demonstrations include unblocking meridians and releasing muscle knots, a traditional practice drawing on theories recorded in the Huangdi Neijing, or Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor.

A herbal aromatic ink jointly developed by the Beijing Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and Beijing-based ink maker Yidege was launched during the opening ceremony. The product incorporates herbal ingredients into traditional ink-making, highlighting connections between Chinese herbal culture and the art of calligraphy.

An autumn chrysanthemum herbal drink was also unveiled.

Beijing's traditional maohou craft, which creates miniature monkey figures from magnolia buds and cicada shells, and pyrography-decorated gourds offer further examples of traditional craftsmanship that incorporates medicinal and natural materials.

Digital applications of TCM are on display alongside medicinal and edible products and locally sourced herbs from regions such as Hubei and Sichuan provinces. Exhibition boards and plant specimens introduce visitors to practical topics and seasonal health practices.

By placing medical consultations, herbal culture and traditional crafts in the historical garden setting, the event offers visitors a chance to admire lotus flowers, identify medicinal plants, sample herbal drinks, and explore cultural products in a single visit.

The event is scheduled to run through Sept 2 as part of Haidian's efforts to combine gardens, traditional medicine, cultural creativity, and technology in seasonal health and tourism experiences.