Promoting the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the New Century

Reviewing the past, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the 20th century experienced vicissitude. Since the founding the People's Republic of China, especially for the past twenty years, traditional Chinese medicine undertaking, full of vigor and vitality, has made an unprecedented development in China. The legal status and scientific status of traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology have already been established. The medical system of traditional Chinese medicine, which is composed of traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, ethnic minority medicine hospitals, integration of traditional and western medicine hospitals and comprehensive hospitals, is playing an important role in preventing, treating diseases and enhancing people's health level. The system of production and circulation for traditional Chinese medicine has basically guaranteed the people's demand for Chinese medicine, with the principles of producing medicinal materials as basis, taking Chinese medicine industry as pillar and Chinese medicine as link. Remarkable achievements have been scored in the research of TCM development as well as research of TCM basic theory and clinical treatment. A number of scientific and technological results have been transformed into productive forces. TCM education has formed a rational pattern based on inheriting traditional way of transmission from master to disciple as well as taking the university and college education as the main part. Minority medical science has been further explored and sorted out; the level of medical treatment, teaching and scientific research for ethnic minority medicines has been improved. As the contingent of integrated traditional and western medicine is growing steadily, medical treatment system, scientific research system and teaching system for integrated traditional and western medicine takes shape progressively. International exchange and cooperation on traditional Chinese medicine has been greatly promoted. Various forms of cooperative relations on the TCM medical treatment, teaching and scientific research have been established between China and many other countries and regions in the world. With the increasing influence of TCM in the world, the accomplishment of traditional Chinese medicine in the 20th century has attracted world attention.