Europe's first Traditional Chinese Medicine museum opens in San Marino

Traditional Chinese Medicine leader Tong Ren Tang, founded in 1669, sponsored the museum and provided all the materials.[Photo/Xinhua]

The first museum in Europe devoted to the ancient art of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has opened in San Marino, with a series of joyful artistic events.

The inauguration came a little more than one year after the opening of the Confucius Institute, which was established in March 2015 by the educational authorities in China and San Marino in a bid to boost bilateral cooperation.

Both local residents and Chinese officials enjoyed the event on Friday.

People were invited to peruse attentively medicines, medical tools, and traditional healing herbs exhibited at the upper level of the Confucius Institute headquarters where the museum has been established.

Some visitors marveled at different medical herbs and the samples of ancient medical tools that were put on display.

Luis Alberto Gregoroni from San Marino told Xinhua, "I enjoy it because I like Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as Western herbal medicine, and especially as preventive treatment."

Such healing arts, with their natural ingredients and remedies, would be most useful for detoxifying the body, so as to make it more easily receptive to any other kind of treatments, the man explained.

"I believe that, in our globalized world, we do need a chance to learn and exchange information about one another's original habits and ancient traditions," Gregoroni added.

The Confucius Institute, which is managed by both San Marino University and Beijing City University, was meant to offer teaching and educational exchanges in Chinese language and culture, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, since its inception.