The State
Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said on January
9 that they have officially started bidding for traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) to be included on the UNESCO World Intangible
Cultural Heritage list.
The draft bid is complete, and the administration expects to
submit its official application to the United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) within the
year.?
According to the head of the International Cooperation
Department of the administration, Shen Zhixiang, the application
will include information such as the traditional medicines of the
Han Chinese and other ethnic groups, TCM theory, practical skills
and materials resources.
"Some of the key characteristics of TCM include systematic
documentation and its widespread recognition. Although tangible
heritages like cultural sites, relics, and literature do exist in
the field of TCM, there are also the intangible aspects such as
practical methods, a knowledge system, and the processing of
medicines. This is why we are presenting the whole package, as it
were, for the bid," Shen said.
The administration has been working on its bid since 2003,
working closely with UNESCO.
With a long history in China, TCM has grown in popularity and
influence over the years. By the end of 2004, several TCM-related
health cooperation agreements were signed between China and 51
countries including the United States, Canada, France, UK, and
Germany; 17 special cooperation agreements were signed with
countries such as Norway and Ireland.
There are more than 50,000 TCM institutions in more than 130
countries with acupuncturists numbering more than 100,000. There
are estimated 20,000 registered TCM practitioners, and an
increasing number of TCM patients.
?(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua, January 11, 2006)