China's Gen-Zers seek ancient healing at TCM night markets

LANZHOU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Amid the cool night breeze of Baiyin, a city nestled in northwest China's Gansu Province, the scent of herbs like astragalus and angelica permeates the air as crowds gather beneath glowing light boxes around cupping stations and pulse-reading booths.

The scenes unfolded at the "Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Night Market" at Wansheng Park, where millennia-old healing wisdom is coming alive and becoming a trendy evening ritual among China's Gen-Zers.

"This heat leaves me drained, sleepy, and listless," said 21-year-old Yu Huiyan, as she extended her wrist for a pulse diagnosis. After experiencing positive results from previous TCM treatments, she now turns to the night market in search of herbal remedies.

After a tongue examination and careful pulse reading, the doctor noted her weak pulse and signs of fatigue, then prescribed a blend of TCM herbs to boost energy, dispel dampness and aid digestion.

Yu said she and many peers have been drawn to TCM in recent years. Having taken TCM electives in college, her interest deepened after starting work. "I'd love to use traditional remedies and appropriate techniques to help take care of myself and those around me."

At the TCM night market, traditional therapies such as acupuncture, cupping, foot baths, massage and ear seeds have become increasingly popular among young people.

Han Long, a TCM physician at Baiyin First People's Hospital with over a decade of experience, highlighted classic texts like the Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, and Compendium of Materia Medica as key to understanding the body's mysteries. "I hope more young people embrace TCM to enhance their own health and that of their families," Han said.

Since opening in early July, Wansheng Park has transformed into a wellness hub, where medical staff from over 30 local institutions offer free consultations, answer health questions, share TCM wellness tips and provide personalized advice, said Zhu Dongmei, head of the Baiyin district health bureau and organizer of the TCM night market.

Over 2,000 people come here daily, mostly young people lining up for everything from pulse diagnosis to fragrant sachets and herbal tea.

Across China, Gansu's vibrant TCM night market is just one example of a growing trend, with similar markets attracting large crowds nationwide this summer.

In Shenyang, capital of northeast Liaoning Province, the TCM night market offers more than free consultations. It features zones for TCM-inspired cultural products, hands-on technique demonstrations and youth activities, blending tradition with modern flair through crafts, games and interactive learning.

In the eastern Chinese city of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, technology plays a key role at the TCM night market as TCM robots provide heat-sensitive moxibustion, digital pulse diagnosis and 3D foot scans.

This growing trend of TCM night markets is also helping a new generation of practitioners like Han step into the spotlight, widening TCM's reach beyond traditional circles and ensuring its legacy endures.

"TCM is a treasure of our Chinese nation, with expanding global influence," said Da Chunhe, director of the Baiyin municipal health commission. "As more young people experience and study it, they'll understand TCM and benefit from it." ■