On June 8, twelve international students from Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan studying at Taizhou University had an immersive experience of traditional Chinese medicine culture during an “experience class” held at the Xingzhi Campus of College Road Primary School and Jiazhi Community Health Service Center. Through this activity, they gained a deeper understanding of the charm of traditional Chinese medicine culture.

This event was jointly organized by the Publicities Department, Foreign Affairs Office, Education Bureau, and Health Bureau of Jiaojiang District. It forms part of the “Discover Jiaojiang” series of offline exchange activities —“Oh! Chinese Medicine” —for overseas friends of the District, as well as Taizhou University’s “Perceive China” series of social practice and cultural experience activities, which allows foreign students to embark on a journey of discovering the wonders of China.

The first part of the activity took place at the Xingzhi Campus of College Road Primary School. Here, the international students listened to a presentation on herbal knowledge, sampled herbal tea and snacks, and even made herbal bookmarks at the Garden of Medicinal Plants. Through this immersive experience, they gained a practical understanding of herbal medicine. Afterwards, they joined elementary school students in the home economics classroom to learn how to make mug wort dumplings, exchanging knowledge about the production methods.

The second part of the activity brought the international students to the restaurant of the Food and Tonic Hall. Here, they had the opportunity to taste medicinal food and learnt how Chinese cuisine incorporates herbs to prevent and treat diseases and promote overall well-being.

For the third part of the activity, the international students visited the Jiazhi Community Health Service Center, where they were introduced to various Chinese medicine techniques such as moxibustion, tuina (a form of Chinese manual therapy), cupping, acupuncture, and gua sha (a popular treatment for sunstroke by scraping the patient’s neck, chest or back). They showed great interest in these techniques and eagerly volunteered to experience them firsthand. After the session, the students were amazed by the effectiveness of Chinese medicine techniques and the profoundness of Chinese culture. To wrap up the day, they also enjoyed a cup of herbal tea and tried their hand at making Chinese herbal scented bags.

Mustafina Liliia (Chinese name: 李丽安), a student from Russia, expressed her thoughts on the experience, “This is a special experience for me since I had no prior knowledge of Chinese medicine culture. I was amazed to see how the Chinese utilize natural gifts instead of relying on chemical substances. After experiencing acupuncture therapy, not only did my back feel relaxed, but my entire body as well. This therapy is very effective. I am grateful to the school for giving me this opportunity!”

          Aliev Khamza (Chinese name: 周诚) from Uzbekistan shared his thoughts with the reporter, saying, “After participating in this event, I now understand that Chinese medicine treatments may appear simple, but they are actually profound. This experience was both fascinating and interesting!”