Traditional Chinese Medicine Day

While March 17^th is widely known as St. Patrick’s Day, it is also Traditional Chinese Medicine Day.

Did you know that this Chinese holistic practice, with a lineage spanning thousands of years, and rooted in the concept of harmonizing the body’s vital energy, known as Qi, nearly faced extinction during the political and cultural upheavals in the early 20th century?

Historical Context

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, China had faced significant setbacks due to its isolationist policies and resistance to modernization. The Opium Wars (1839–42, 1856–60) exposed China’s vulnerability to Western powers, and reform efforts failed due to government resistance. Revolutionaries, inspired by Japan’s Meiji Restoration and its victories over China (1894) and Russia (1904), increasingly embraced Western methods while rejecting the traditional ways of life.

The1920s – a pivotal decade

In 1928, following the unification of China, a movement advocating for complete Westernization emerged. TCM was criticized as superstitious and unscientific. At the time, most TCM practitioners learned through apprenticeships and ancient texts rather than formal schooling, yet millions relied on TCM for affordable healthcare.

At a 1929 conference in Nanjing_[1], a proposal was tabled to abolish all TCM practices and replace them with Western medicine. The proposal sparked widespread opposition from TCM practitioners and the public, culminating in a meeting in Shanghai on March 17, 1929 where hundreds of TCM doctors gathered. They proposed a countermeasure: preserving and modernizing TCM through integration into the education system, the establishment of TCM universities, and the implementation of a licensing system for practitioners.

After months of lobbying, the counterproposal was adopted. March 17 was later recognized as National Chinese Medicine Day.

Post-War Developments

By the 1950s, TCM universities were established in major cities across mainland China and Taiwan, solidifying TCM’s role in the modern Chinese healthcare systems.

In recent years TCM has experienced significant global growth due to increasing awareness of its holistic health benefits and its integration into modern healthcare systems. The World Health Organization’s 2019 Global Report _[2]revealed that acupuncture is used in 183 countries worldwide to treat 461 symptoms and 972 diseases. In Australia, the number of registered TCM practitioners has increased to 4,853 by 2023/24_[3].

Today, Traditional Chinese Medicine continues to thrive globally, bridging ancient wisdom with modern healthcare to promote wellness and healing across cultures.

As we celebrate Traditional Chinese Medicine Day, we honor its resilience, enduring significance, and its ability to adapt to the changing needs of modern healthcare while preserving its ancient wisdom.

At David Lee Acupuncture, we employ various TCM techniques including needle, moxibustion, cupping and herbal medicine. These modalities work together to remove energy stagnation, rebalance the energy. By addressing the root causes of disharmony rather than just symptoms, we strive to restore and maintain optimal health in accordance with TCM principles.

[1] Si, Chengquan (2008). “余云岫与《废止中医案》” [Yu Yunxiu and Feizhi zhongyi an]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Literature (in Chinese). 26(1): 42–43.
[2] Organization W. H. WHO Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2019. [Google Scholar]
[3] https://www.chinesemedicineboard.gov.au/News/Annual-report.aspx