Global rise of TCM

Although the years of study are long and demanding, the employment prospects for TCM students are promising upon graduation, according to Zou Haoyan, a Singaporean who is now in his second year of a doctorate in TCM orthopedics.

According to Zou, there are many TCM centers in Singapore. In 2018, he worked in one where treatments like bone setting, moxibustion, acupuncture, and guasha, or scraping therapy, are highly popular. Apart from medium-sized centers, TCM practitioners are also in demand by larger TCM hospitals, health clubs, tuina shops, or even foot massage parlors in Singapore, which have been booming in recent years. And for those with bigger ambitions, opening their own TCM stores overseas is also a common option. "I know many of my peers building a career in the US, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, the Middle East, and mostly Southeast Asia," he said.

The thriving situation of TCM is not limited to schools and clinics. It has also become a lifestyle choice for many young people.

A survey conducted by China Youth Daily with 1,000 respondents in China revealed that 93.3 percent of them have tried various TCM diagnostic and treatment methods. It has also shown that 63.1 percent of the surveyed youth do so because of the fast-paced life and the increased pressures stemming from work.

Judging from the results, 52.9 percent of them feel that TCM health preservation has improved their suboptimal health conditions.

Ma mentioned the internet slang term "fragile university students", referring to the current generation who suffer from numerous health issues and are so fragile that they seem to break at the slightest touch despite being young.

"The phenomenon of 'aging-related diseases in younger people' is now very common. Many young people in their 20s come to the clinic for neck and back pain, as well as dry eye syndrome," she said.

Ma has also observed the phenomenon of young people making TCM fashionable and life-oriented, and she takes it as a good sign of the innovative development of TCM.

Based on the theory of the homology of medicine and food in TCM, Chinese herbal milk tea and a Chinese pharmacy version of plum soup have become trendy on social media. They are not only selling well in shops but also gaining numerous clicks online.

"I've seen tags of Chinese herbal milk tea on Xiaohongshu, and I really wanted to try it. It's a creative idea to combine TCM with trendy food among the young generation," said Khiev.

Young people are also posting pictures of their bruised backs after scraping therapy and video clips of practicing baduanjin, or Eight Brocade Exercises, a traditional Chinese fitness exercise. Even Pamela Reif, a workout vlogger with more than 10 million followers on YouTube and 11 million on Bilibili, tried out the exercise.

Phan also practices baduanjin regularly. "I do the eight sequences every morning just after I wake up. Although it only takes 12 minutes, it helps me awaken and connect with my body better," she said.

"I find that, after the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a trend among young people to place more emphasis on health conditioning and preservation, with TCM playing a significant role," she added.

Ma agreed. "The essence of TCM is preventive medicine, in which health preservation is crucial. The current popular products and movements are the embodiment of this idea."

However, Ma also reminded that TCM emphasizes the importance of diagnosing and treating based on differentiating syndromes. "Each person has a different constitution, and each herb has its own unique properties of cold, heat, warmth, and mildness. Even when drinking herbal milk tea, it's best to make choices accordingly," she said.

"Some people criticize TCM because it can't be quantified and standardized. In fact, this is TCM's characteristic and advantage instead of its shortcoming, as it is a more accurate and tailored medical method for different patients," Ma explained, adding that the popularity of TCM, both among international students and on social media, underscores "the tremendous potential for TCM's future development and prosperity".

Han Junhong and Yang Liu contributed to this story.