So sorry to my readers (if there are indeed any, lol) for my lack of updates; my academic career and my prolonged home refinancing took precedence over my various (important but admittedly secondary) projects. However, I do have some interesting news about the progress that TCM is seeing in modern China.

2011 will see China increasing research and development into the ways in which traditional Chinese medicine can be integrated into modern medical practice.

The announcement was made by the Director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (here’s the English page if you’re interested),Vice Health Minister Wang Guoqiang, during the yearly nationwide conference on traditional Chinese medicine.

Wang encouraged the establishment of databases of TCM writings dating back to antiquity, and the creation of a R&D system consisting of TCM labs with modern facilities and quality-control channels leading ultimately to implementation within the medical industry as a whole.

Already in the past year China has registered 400 of the most esteemed ancient books on TCM, as well as 181 “inheritance studios” for TCM masters. The SATCM established the foundation of a network where TCM and Western medical professionals alike may trade academic and clinical knowledge.

Wang also released statistics charting TCM’s recent growth in China. For example, the country increased spending on TCM by 165% between 2005 and 2009, with an almost 10% increase in the number of TCM hospitals — for a total of nearly 450,000 beds!

Along with last year’s recognition of acupuncture and moxibustion by UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), the 21st Century is proving to be a surprisingly promising time for traditional medicine.