Foreign practitioners and students of traditional Chinese medicine gained firsthand insights into China's time-honored herbal medicine culture during a field visit to the Darentang Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Museum in Tianjin on Monday.

The trip was part of the 2026 Chinese Government Scholarship International Summer School training program organized by Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, targeting acupuncture moxibustion technicians from Portuguese-speaking and southern European countries.
 

A total of 23 foreign TCM and acupuncture practitioners, alongside volunteer university students, took part in the exchange.

A pioneer in China's modern TCM industry, Darentang owns 599 drug approval licenses, including 122 exclusive proprietary preparations such as Suxiao Jiuxin pills and Jingwanhong ointment.

Apart from classic patent medicines, Darentang has advanced digital, intelligent and life-oriented innovations. It has organized high-standard digital production workshops and opened Darentang Wellness Centers.

By embedding TCM culture into herbal baking and creative cultural goods, the enterprise helps drive the transformation of traditional Chinese medicine and helps make TCM heritage accessible in daily life.

The tour featured briefings on TCM history, medicinal raw materials, acupuncture techniques, flagship Darentang products and corporate achievements, winning high praise from overseas guests. Visitors also participated in hands-on experiences including filling herbal sachets and pounding medicinal ingredients.

"Herbs are central to my acupuncture work. I am impressed by Darentang's rigorous product quality. It means a lot to see these TCM remedies also recognized back home in Canada," said Jocelito Camargo, an acupuncturist from Ottawa.
 

Luiz Moreira from Brazil commented: "This is a fantastic hands-on experience. We get to touch and smell real medicinal herbs and observe processing procedures. The herbal scent is really refreshing."

Rui Goncalues from Portugal was struck by the company's long-standing legacy. "What impresses me most is Darentang's centuries-old history. It is remarkable for an enterprise to keep innovating and developing new products over such a long span of time," he said.

From Chinadaily.com.cn