Time-honored pharmacy brings TCM to the modern age

In the bustling Dashilar area, a renowned tourist destination in downtown Beijing, Melvyn, a young man from Brussels, stepped into the Tong Ren Tang pharmacy, a time-honored brand with over 350 years of history.

This was Melvyn's second visit to China. Besides sightseeing, he intended to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine.

Accompanying him was Mana, a young lady from Pakistan, who was experiencing back pain and decided to seek relief while sightseeing. With the help of the store's staff, Mana quickly obtained the medicine she needed.

"I have a keen interest in TCM. I enjoy TCM massages and also like taking ginseng," said Mana.

Melvyn and Mana are among a growing number of young people from China and abroad who turn to TCM for health problems.

The Tong Ren Tang pharmacy, established in 1669, serves as a window for cultural exchange and knowledge in TCM.

The building itself retains its antiquated charm, with shelves inside the building stocked with an array of products.

Visitors can not only see a doctor, get prescriptions, and purchase medicine, but also buy nutritional supplements, food items, cosmetics, and herbal drinks.

In the cosmetics section, Guo Haiyan, who oversees quality control, has introduced an anti-freckle cream, describing it as highly effective.

"We used to focus mainly on pharmaceuticals, but later we found that tourists to this area have a huge demand for cosmetics," she said.

She also pointed to incense sticks, noting that they have gained popularity abroad in recent years.

Herbal drinks are another distinctive offering. Tong Ren Tang has blended coffee with TCM ingredients to create beverages infused with herbal elements.

"Tourists can choose drinks suited to their body condition for health preservation," Guo said.

Near the beverage counter stands a wheel that visitors spin as part of a puzzle game to guess the names of TCM herbs based on photo prompts.

The store also sells TCM bracelets, sachets and other souvenirs that can be worn to help prevent ailments.

Children can try on hanfu, traditional Chinese attire, and experience TCM customs firsthand.

A tourist surnamed Lin from Guangdong province brought his family to Beijing during the summer vacation. They visited the third floor, which houses a TCM culture exhibition center and serves as a venue for educational tours. His son and daughter showed great interest in handling traditional pill-making tools and observing various plant specimens.

An on-site virtual reality display allows visitors to don headsets and watch immersive demonstrations of how these tools were used to make pills in the past.

"Just like making tiny glutinous rice balls, the TCM practitioner adds water and herbal powder and shakes the mixture back and forth. It takes about 40 minutes to complete the process," Guo said. "Factories usually have specialized machines for this, but we have preserved the traditional method here."

At the TCM digital health cabin, visitors can use machines for basic health check-ups. They can also see a doctor for further diagnosis.

On nearby tables, paper and pigments — the latter made from TCM herbs or minerals — are available for children to paint. They can also use TCM herbs and cloth to craft their own sachets.

Guo said that since the summer vacation began, the center has seen an influx of children.

There are many such TCM experiential centers across China. In Cangzhou, Hebei province, just over two hours' drive from Beijing, some schools have herbal gardens to help children learn about medicinal plants. In Chengdu, Sichuan province, Tianfu Medicine City attracts many enthusiasts from both home and abroad.

Back in Beijing, just a few minutes' walk from Dashilar, a smart health experience center at the Beijing Fun complex offers visitors exercise routines similar to baduanjin — a traditional form of qigong. The complex is a branch of Tong Ren Tang. Visitors can also use AI-powered machines that integrate TCM wisdom with large language models for health consultations.

"We aim to create a showcase for TCM culture. New technologies help us do a better job in promoting TCM culture," said Guo.