Global Reach
Chinese medicine did not begin going global today — it has travelled with camel bells and sails for two thousand years.
The Silk Road
From the Han and Tang onward, herbs and medical texts moved along the Silk Road: cinnamon and rhubarb travelled west, spices and coral came east. Medicine was one of the caravans' earliest common languages.
Jianzhen's Voyage
In 753 CE, the monk Jianzhen reached Japan on his sixth attempt, carrying a great quantity of herbs and medical books; he is honoured as a founding figure of Japanese medicine.
Zheng He's Fleets
On seven voyages in the early Ming, Zheng He's fleets carried physicians and pharmacists, collecting foreign aromatics and leaving rich records of medical exchange.
Variolation Westward
In the 18th century, the Chinese technique of variolation reached Europe via Turkey, informing the later spread of cowpox vaccination and modern immunology.
196 Countries and Regions
According to China's National Administration of TCM, Chinese medicine has reached 196 countries and regions — a living bond of culture and health cooperation.
Overseas TCM Centers
China has established overseas TCM centers in Belt and Road partner countries, providing clinical care, education and cultural exchange.
The East Asian Medical Sphere
Japanese Kampo, Korean medicine (the Dongui Bogam is inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, 2009) and Vietnamese eastern medicine all grew from Chinese medical roots.
Standards and Education
ISO standards, overseas TCM colleges and licensing systems are steadily internationalising training and practice.
Licensed Practice Worldwide
Countries including the United States, Australia and Canada have established registration or certification systems for acupuncture and Chinese medicine — such as NCCAOM certification in the US and Australia's national registration. Industry estimates count tens of thousands of licensed acupuncturists abroad, with degree courses offered at universities in many countries.
TCM Service Export Bases
According to China's Ministry of Commerce and National Administration of TCM, batches of national TCM service export bases have been established, covering clinical care, education, wellness and product trade.
World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO continues to bring traditional medicine into the global health system: it issued the Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023, included a traditional-medicine chapter in ICD-11 (2019) for the first time, and convened the first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit in India in 2023, adopting an outcome declaration.
UNESCO
Acupuncture and moxibustion of Chinese medicine were inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010; the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor and the Compendium of Materia Medica joined the Memory of the World Register in 2011; Tibetan medicinal bathing followed on the heritage list in 2018.
ISO/TC 249
The ISO technical committee for traditional Chinese medicine, established in 2009 with its secretariat in Shanghai, has published more than one hundred international standards covering herbs, acupuncture needles, devices and terminology.
World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies
Founded in Beijing in 2003, WFCMS unites member organisations across more than 70 countries and regions. Its annual World Congress of Chinese Medicine is a flagship of global academic exchange, standard-setting and training.
World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies
Established in 1987 and headquartered in Beijing, WFAS maintains official relations with WHO and promotes global cooperation in acupuncture education, practice standards and research.
EU Traditional Herbal Registration Directive
The EU's 2004 simplified registration directive (2004/24/EC) created a legal pathway for traditional herbal products. In 2012, Diaoxinxuekang Capsules entered the Dutch market as a medicine — a landmark case for Chinese patent medicine in Europe.
From canonical texts to laboratories, from Chinatown herb shops to hospitals abroad, Chinese medicine is entering the world with clearer standards and deeper understanding.