CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Through the ages, numerous people have become attracted to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and some of them have become masters. They not only have excellent medical skills, but also have the feelings to help the people. While new opportunities for development of ancient TCM occur, what realistic problems exist? How to solve the practitioner shortage problem and break the bottleneck of talent? Today, the special “TCM of Great Power” series “Predestined Relationship with TCM” is released. Let’s follow the pictures to look at the way of inheritance of TCM.

It’s rare for a family business inherited for two or three generations, and it can be called legend that an herbal medicine shop has been opened for 12 generations. In Zhongshan Ancient Town, Jiangjin, Chongqing, there is such an old and well-known family business – Jiulingtang Herbal Medicine Shop. For more than 360 years, the Fang family has been in the herbs business. They gather herbs in mountains and make herbal medicine elaborately, insisting on selling quality medicine. The current successor, Fang Lianhai, has been engaged in curing sickness in the town for half a lifetime.

In the simple TCM clinic, the national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor Liu Guangrui is in a long grey gown. In his shop there is a herbal scent in the air. Liu’s acupuncture and healing therapy takes skills like acupuncture, moxibustion, fire heating and stone rolling as treatment methods. In 2002, Liu Guangrui inherited the mantle of her father and became the 14th-generation successor of Liu’s acupuncture and heating therapy.