On March 17, the 94th TCM Day, Binzhou Medical University (BMU) held the launch ceremony of the 9th TCM Day Festival on the theme of Inheriting Cultural Heritage, Cultivating Humanity, and Contribute to the Development of TCM series of education activities and the TCM Campus Fair at the Youth Square. The activities were intended to deeply study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, promote traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) culture, and integrate them into students' ideological and political education. Vice President Bai Xianyong delivers a speech at the ceremony.
This is the venue of the ceremony.
On behalf of the school, Bai Xianyong congratulated the launch of the 9th TCM Day Festival series of educational activities and extended holiday greetings to all teachers and students of the School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. As he noted in his speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine is an important carrier of excellent traditional culture. It plays an important role in promoting cultural exchanges, maintaining people's health, and so on. Traditional Chinese medicine is an outstanding representative of the Chinese culture. Tu Youyou, a Nobel laureate, once remarked that artemisinin was a small but significant step in the fight against malaria and a gift from traditional Chinese medicine to the world. In early 2020, TCM played a crucial role in combating COVID-19 both in China and abroad, with over 91% of treatment involving TCM. Today, TCM diagnosis and treatment are providing Chinese prescriptions around the world. He pointed out that TCM is rooted in culture, guided by philosophy, built on science, and perfected through clinical practice. It represents the accumulation of thousands of years of health preservation concepts and practical experience of the Chinese nation, embodying profound philosophical wisdom and cultural heritage. Inheritance is the key to the development of TCM.
Vice President Bai Xianyong delivers a speech at the ceremony.
He emphasized the importance of the School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine as a cradle for cultivating TCM talents and called on the school to use the TCM Day Festival as a platform to protect, explore, develop, and inherit the TCM culture. First, we should insist on the inheritance and innovation of TCM, which should be part of the entire process of cultivating morality and integrity, fully utilizing TCM cultural resources, strengthening the construction of TCM cultural brands, and making the TCM culture shine in the new era. Second, we should fulfill our responsibilities consciously. We must uphold the professional ethics of health workers with sincerity and benevolence and continuously hone our skills. We must approach the public with compassion and use our skills to help those suffering from illness. Third, we must make fulfilling our mission a core value by combining the acceleration of TCM inheritance, innovation, and development with fulfilling the mission of our times. We must never forget the original aspiration of being a doctor, bravely fulfill our mission for health, and strive tirelessly to promote the construction of a Healthy China.
At the ceremony, representatives of students from the School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine recited Da Yi Jing Cheng (Great Medical Ethics), a classic piece of a classic TCM book. Bear a heart of benevolence and compassion, vow to save those in suffering... The recitation echoed through out the Youth Square, reminding everyone of the benevolence, virtue, and sentiments of Sun Simiao, a great medical scientist in ancient China.
After the launch ceremony, the TCM Campus Fair started. The campus fair featured four TCM cultural experience events, including a game area highlighting TCM characteristics, a site where experts provided free consultations, an area for experiencing TCM external treatment, and an exhibition of TCM cultural and creative products. Over ten experts from TCM and other institutions provided free consultations to teachers and students on campus. In addition, teachers and students can participate in various activities against admissions tickets and exchange them for creative TCM cultural and products. Guests to the campus fair included Li Xiaogang, school district principal and Zhang Yuling, vice principal for 23th middle school of Rongcheng City, Xie Junling, vice principal for primary school, Xiang Hongchang and Guan Qiuxia, inheritors of the Jiugong Bafeng Acupuncture Medical System, an element of intangible cultural heritage. The campus fair helped the university connect with the broader society and build a diverse platform for promoting and disseminating the TCM culture and attracting more social forces to contribute to the cause of inheriting and innovating TCM. BMU also held free consultations and other theme activities on the Binzhou campus simultaneously with the fair on the Yantai campus.
"In the treatment of diseases, a great doctor remains calm and determined, free from desires..." Every time when I hear this extract, my heart is moved and shocked as before. Although I have spent three years at BMU and participated in the TCM Day Festival three times, I have a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese medicine every time. The experts and teachers providing the free consultations showed great dedication and a sense of responsibility. In the bitter cold winds of March, they gave professional advice to every teacher and student who came for them. From them, we can learn medical knowledge and skills and, more importantly, the spirit and attitude of our predecessors. Their example strengthened our original aspiration to learn traditional Chinese medicine and our mission to inherit its culture, said Wang Bowen, a student of class 2020 majoring in TCM.
SOURCE: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
BY: Wang Yinglin
