Traditional Chinese medicine bridges hearts between China, Russia

By Xiao Xinxin, People’s Daily
“The new building of Moscow State University, perched on Lenin Hills, is being adorned with masterpieces by Soviet sculptors, painters, and decorative artists… Among them are exquisite portraits of the great Chinese scientist Zu Chongzhi and herbalist Li Shizhen,” read the front page of Pravda on March 28, 1953.
“This reflects the profound respect of the Soviet people for the great and friendly Chinese people, whose ancient civilization boasts a brilliant cultural heritage,” the article continued.
Founded in 1755, Moscow State University completed its iconic main building in September 1953. Today, visitors entering the main auditorium pass through a corridor where a decorative frieze beneath the ceiling displays mosaic portraits of some of the world’s most renowned scientists, rendered in vibrant marble. Among them are Zu Chongzhi, the mathematician, astronomer, and scientist of China’s Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), and Li Shizhen, the acclaimed pharmacologist in China’s Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
While decades have passed, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and TCM culture that Li represents continue to flourish. In today’s Russia, TCM is steadily gaining ground, with a growing number of people turning to its treatments.
At the St. Petersburg TCM Center established by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Svetlana, a local resident, was receiving therapy. She has long suffered from dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and persistent pain in her shoulders and arms. On her family’s recommendation, she visited the center, where doctors applied cupping therapy, acupuncture, and moxibustion.
“The results were remarkable! My symptoms have eased significantly, and I feel much more at ease,” she said. “I now truly understand the value of TCM.”
Opened in July 2016, the St. Petersburg TCM Center was the first TCM hospital in Russia to receive legal accreditation under local medical regulations. According to Liu Qingguo, head of the center, it has treated over 4,000 patients and provided more than 10,000 treatment sessions. Treatments such as scalp acupuncture, fire needling, heat-sensitive moxibustion, and therapeutic massage have offered relief to many suffering from chronic ailments.
The center has also forged partnerships with Russian medical research institutions and regularly hosts free consultations, public lectures, and joint clinics to broaden understanding of TCM within the local community.
“With growing interest in TCM among Russians, we are expanding training programs for practitioners,” said Huang Guorong, president of the Russian Association of Specialists of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Founded in 2018, the association has played an increasingly active role in TCM education. In 2024 alone, its international school of oriental medicine in Moscow conducted nearly 100 specialized training sessions, teaching over 7,000 trainees from Russia and neighboring countries. Many graduates have since entered the TCM field professionally.
In recent years, medical tourism centered on TCM has flourished along the China-Russia border. A increasing number of Russian tourists are traveling to northeast China in search of TCM treatments. In cities like Heihe and Suifenhe, both in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, Russian “medical tour groups” have become a familiar presence. Meanwhile, the Wudalianchi scenic area in Heihe, renowned for its volcanic landscape and mineral-rich cold springs, welcomes nearly 10,000 Russian visitors annually for therapeutic retreats.
Fedot Tumusov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, noted that China and Russia are deepening heathcare cooperation, and both doctors and patients in Russia are showing greater openness toward TCM.
“We look forward to continued collaboration that fosters mutual learning and promotes the deeper integration of TCM into Russia’s healthcare system to benefit more people,” he added.