Leadership Insights | Illustrated Lectures: Tongrentang TCM Culture: Dual Intangible Cultural Heritage Fostered with Benevolent Skills

An outstanding representative of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Tongrentang’s TCM culture was listed among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006. Its history can be traced back to 1669, the eighth year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911), when Le Xianyang founded the Tongrentang pharmacy. Across more than 350 years, Tongrentang has formed the pharmaceutical maxim: “Thoughthe making process is complex, one must not skimp on labor; though the ingredients are precious, one must not reduce their use.”

Tongrentang’s core skills involve three major systems: identification of medicinal herbs, traditional processing methods, and formulation compatibility. Its unique technique for making Angong Niuhuang Wan (an emergency medicineused for the rescue of acute and criticaldiseases) was included in the national intangible cultural heritage expansion program in 2014. The process involves more than 100 procedures such as water separation, steaming, boiling, calcining, and frying, with particular emphasis on the principle of “reasonable combination of main and supplementary ingredients” and the control of firing techniques. It carries the essential Confucian concept of “benevolenceand virtue,” emphasizing the self-discipline principle in quality control: “Heaven knows what you do—even under the watch of no one.”

As China’s only time-honored brand earning the title of “dual intangible cultural heritage,” Tongrentang is not only a living fossil of traditional Chinese pharmaceutical techniques but also akey promoter of TCM philosophy and culture, serving as a benchmark for advancing the modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicine.

Tongrentang’s long-standing TCM culture has cultivated numerous accomplishments over time. Today, Tongrentang not only preserves traditional pharmaceutical techniques but also actively utilizes modern technology to improve the production of Chinese medicineand enhance their quality and efficacy. Its medicinal products are popular in both domestic and international markets. By organizing TCM exhibitions, popular science lectures, and other activities, it is committed to popularizing TCM knowledge, thereby enhancing public understanding and recognition of TCM culture.

Traditional medicine is a product of human civilization, requiring generations of efforts to protect and pass on its essence. It also needs to keep up with the times and seek innovation while maintaining traditions. As an outstanding representative of traditional medicine, TCM is a treasure of Chinese civilization.

監製:蔚力

策劃:丁素雲

文案:楊俊康