At Cai Tong De Pharmacy, foreigners are given an introduction to TCM by a pharmacist.
On Feb 14, a group of international students from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and some foreign TCM fans paid a visit to Shanghai's famed Cai Tong De Pharmacy.
The Cai Tong De Pharmacy is a time-honored TCM brand with a history of 140 years. It has a partnership with the university to promote TCM internationally and the activity was part of their efforts to introduce TCM culture to foreigners.
The foreign visitors were fascinated as they observed and learned about the processes of evaluating prescriptions, dispensing, weighing, and packaging Chinese herbal medicines throughout their tour.
Foreigners were introduced to TCM sachets by pharmacists at the pharmacy. The pharmacists showed plant specimens of Chinese herbs in the sachet and discussed the herbs' unique properties.
Foreigners were anxious to get their hands on TCM sachets after hearing that they might ward off evil spirits and prevent ailments. Each of them learned to produce a heart-shaped sachet after recognizing, smelling, differentiating, and tasting a range of Chinese herbal medicines.
Cai Tong De Pharmacy Scholarship winners were among those who took part in the activity. Since 2013, the Cai Tong De Pharmacy has provided scholarships to international students at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Foreigners choose Chinese herbal medicines to make their own TCM sachets.
Foreigners show off their self-made heart-shaped TCM sachets.