Academic tours help promote TCM culture in Shandong

Students learn about ejiao during their field trip to Dong'e county, Shandong province. [Photo by Li Aiming/for chinadaily.com.cn]

A primary school of Niujiadian town in Dong'e county recently took students on a field trip to focusing on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), during which they visited several attractions and learned about ejiao, or donkey-hide gelatin.

At the donkey museum, the only one of its kind in China, students learned about the origins and uses of donkeys. In Dong'e Ejiao City, they experienced how ejiao is made, while at Dong'e Ejiao World, they learned about modern ejiao production techniques and various TCM materials.

Dong'e Ejiao Corporation Limited collaborates with many universities and colleges, attracting about 300,000 visitors every year for academic tours. The Shandong Dong'e Ejiao Tourist Attraction has been recognized as a national academic tour base. The 16 unique traditional Chinese medicine culture academic tour courses it offers have been rated among the most popular courses among primary and secondary school students in Liaocheng.

Dong'e county innovatively combines intangible cultural heritage (ICH) resources with tourist attraction. They have developed unique products like the TCM culture academic tour, creating a new model in TCM cultural education practice.

Currently, Dong'e county has identified and organized 115 ICH items, including two national-level items, seven provincial-level items, and 33 municipal-level items. These items encompass traditional medicinal practices such as ejiao, medicinal plasters, and TCM processing. (Edited by Yang Yi)