International visitors at the the Yushengtang Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum in 2007.

From a venue for professional exchanges to popular tourist destination, Yushengtang Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum in Beijing has witnessed the spreading popularity of traditional Chinese medicine overseas.

Over the past 10 years, Bai Yang, the museum curator, has communicated with foreign scholars and physicians, especially from Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries. But after 2008, there was a sharp rise in the number of Western tourists interested in TCM.

"All of sudden, our museum was filled with tourists from the United States, Germany and even Israel," said Bai, 51, a native Beijing resident. "Most of them had no background in the field, but had great curiosity. They all listened to our guide's speech very carefully and took notes."

The number of overseas tourist visits at the museum doubled in 2013 to reach 20,000.

Bai expects the number to reach a new high this year because Beijing travel agencies are promoting TCM tourism. The museum is a key destination.

Bai said not only the history of TCM was showcased - they also invite tourists to experience treatments.

"The important part of fostering enthusiasm and trust in TCM among overseas tourists is to let them experience the treatment," Bai said. "These treatments are all very practical. If they see the result, they will trust that TCM has effectiveness."

To help them understand TCM and overcome both language and culture barriers, Bai has invited many experts who have a solid understanding of both languages and TCM to lecture about the history.

"We also provide tailored services for different countries," Bai added. "For example, tourists from Germany are interested in acupuncture. So we hold a specific exhibition on acupuncture culture when they arrive."

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