Zhang Qicheng, a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and professor with the School of Medical Classics Studies of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, has long been an advocate of traditional Chinese medicine.

“The bulk of TCM relics is an important vehicle for TCM culture and contains rich and profound information about ancient Chinese culture,” Zhang said. “It is necessary to set up special funds at the State level to preserve TCM-related relics scattered around the country as a large quantity of those relics are reportedly under imminent threats from natural elements or devastating human behaviors.”

“As far as I know, China boasts of more than one million TCM relics, but less than 10% of them are reportedly in the collection of medical colleges, universities, research institutes as well as public and private museums,” Zhang said.

Most TCM relics, scattered somewhere around the country, are kept in poor conditions, even in the hands of non-professionals. Meanwhile, a large number of TCM relics have been sold or smuggled abroad. “Therefore, it is imperative to take effective measures to solicit, repair, research and utilize TCM relics and documents with State-allocated funds,” Zhang said.

Zhang proposed the construction of a national TCM museum as one of the key measures to preserve TCM relics. The museum may serve as a State-level cultural institution for the gathering, collecting, preserving, researching and showcasing of TCM-related cultural heritage resources, Zhang said, adding “the construction of the museum is conducive to raising the global awareness of TCM and other excellent Chinese cultural elements.”