In the golden autumn of October, the cool breeze brings refreshment. To further guide international clinical interns of intercollegiate exchange programs in understanding China and Chinese medicine, and to promote the high-quality development of international projects, the International Student Office of HUST(Huazhong University of Science and Technology) organized a trip of explorating excellent traditional Chinese culture to Qichun County, Huanggang City, Hubei province, on October 9, 2024.

Well-known for being a gem of ancient Chinese science, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) serves as a key to unlocking the treasures of Chinese civilization. During their stay in China, the international students all chose to study Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Affiliated Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College of HUST for their clinical internship. At the LI Shizhen Memorial Hall in Qichun County, teachers from the First Clinical College delivered a lively lesson on TCM, combining traditional instruments and herbal specimens to illustrate the concepts.

Chu Tao Culture, the pottery-making techniques and related cultural traditions developed in the region, represents a precious intangible cultural heritage. The students visited the non-heritage inheritors in Guanyao Town, Qichun County, to learn about the millennia-old pottery-making techniques and experience in person the connotation of the craftsmanship spirit.

As a representative of the local high-tech enterprises, LI Shizhen National Moxibustion Group has successfully integrated Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture with new Chinese-style modernization of TCM. Students from “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Iasi, Romania, expressed their profound astonishment at the technological innovation and industrial modernization in TCM that Li Shizhen National Moxibustion Group has achieved. They witnessed a new direction for the development of TCM in the new era and the remarkable achievements of Chinese-style modernization.

HUST has established long-term cooperation with many universities in clinical internship exchanges, such as Heidelberg University, University of Duisburg-Essen, and University of Marburg in Germany, as well as Kyoto University and Akita University in Japan. HUST receives over 20 international interns annually. In 2024, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Iasi, Romania became a new partner, and both parties mutually recognize internship credits.

This event aims to integrate medical characteristics and enable international students to understand China, excellent traditional Chinese culture, and Chinese-style modernization.