In December 2005, the Dade Lu Branch of Guangdong Provincial TCM Hospital launched its Chinese Traditional Therapy Center. The facility now attracts nearly twenty patients a day, about fifteen percent of its patient population, from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and farther afield.
A TCM center that provides service for foreigners and Hong Kong and Macau residents
On weekends, when many people return to Guangzhou from outside the mainland, traditional Chinese medicine centers provide them with popular treatments like cupping, acupuncture and massage. During the biannual Canton Fair, many foreign buyers come to experience Chinese therapy, turning such centers into miniature versions of the United Nations
Since China's Reform and Opening Up in 1979, when entering and exiting the country became easier, many overseas Chinese have returned to China in pursuit of traditional therapy. Their belief in Chinese medicine and its advantages in treating ailments like apoplexy, swelling, and nervous disorders have contributed to their ever-growing numbers.
Gradually, more and more foreigners have also found their way to China for therapy, primarily for internal medicine, gynecology, and obesity treatments. The reasons behind this trend lie in the high quality, low cost, and promptness of Chinese medical services
For example, with highest incidence rate of nasopharyngeal cancer in the world, Guangdong is equipped with highly qualified doctors and mature facilities. The province has become the premiere location for Chinese-western combined treatments for patients from Southeast and East Asia.
Furthermore, in Hong Kong, one acupuncture or massage therapy session costs HKD400-600, or even more at a TCM center targeted at foreigners. In Guangzhou, approximately RMB100 will allow patients to obtain the same services. Moreover, the waiting time to see the doctor is considerably shorter on the mainland.
But the growing number of non-local patients remains slightly controversial. Proponents claim non-local patients, who account for only one percent of all the patients in Guangzhou, receive the same treatment as locals and have no unfair privileges. Critics worry that foreigners, who can often pay more for therapy, will receive special treatment at the expense of Guangzhou residents. Nevertheless, the influx of foreigners and oversees Chinese continues unabated.
(By Jessie Hwang, Usha Chilukuri)
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