Yunnan Travel Ethnic Medicine + Tourism from Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (云南中医药大学), abbreviated as YUTCM, is the only undergraduate institution of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Yunnan Province (云南省). It is also a comprehensive TCM university jointly established by the Yunnan Provincial People’s Government and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The university was founded in 1960 as Yunnan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (云南中医学院) and was one of the second batch of TCM undergraduate institutions established in China. In 2018, it was officially renamed Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Overview of the University

Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is located in Kunming (昆明), Yunnan Province, with two campuses: Chenggong (呈贡) and Baita (白塔). The university focuses on TCM as its core discipline, with ethnic medicine and international education as its distinctive features. It offers a multidisciplinary approach, covering medicine, science, engineering, and management. The university currently has over 14,000 full-time students and 850 faculty members.

Academic Programs

Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a variety of undergraduate programs related to TCM, including:

Chinese Medicine (中医学)

Acupuncture and Tuina (针灸推拿学)

Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (中西医临床医学)

Health Preservation in Chinese Medicine (中医养生学)

Rehabilitation in Chinese Medicine (中医康复学)

Nursing (护理学)

Public Administration (公共事业管理)

Additionally, the university has three doctoral degree programs and twelve master’s degree programs. It also provides short-term training courses in areas such as TCM theory, acupuncture, tuina, and Chinese herbal medicine.

Features and Advantages

Ethnic Medicine Research

YUTCM is one of the earliest universities to cultivate talents in ethnic medicine. It has established the only comprehensive education system in China for Dai medicine (傣医学) at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The university also houses the Yunnan Ethnic Medicine Museum (云南省中医药民族医药博物馆), which serves as a national base for TCM cultural education and promotion.

International Education

YUTCM actively promotes international education and was the first Chinese university to establish an overseas TCM education program. The university collaborated with Spain to establish the “Catalonia-Yunnan” College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (加泰罗尼亚－云南中医学院), pioneering overseas TCM education. Additionally, the university has established the “China-Myanmar TCM Center” (中国—缅甸中医药中心) and the “China-Laos TCM Center” (中国—老挝中医药中心), promoting the global expansion of TCM.

Practical Teaching Resources

The university has over 200 practical teaching bases, including two directly affiliated hospitals and thirteen non-directly affiliated hospitals.

International Student Programs

YUTCM offers various programs for international students, including short-term training courses and degree programs. The university also provides TCM language training programs to help international students better understand and study TCM.

Rankings and Recognition

According to 2025 ranking data, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine ranks 5,064th globally, 1,726th in Asia, and 466th in China.

With its profound academic heritage, diverse program offerings, and unique research in ethnic medicine, YUTCM has become a key institution in TCM education and research. The university is not only highly regarded in China but also actively promotes the global dissemination and development of TCM culture.

Integration of TCM Culture and Yunnan Tourism

Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine plays a significant role in integrating TCM culture with Yunnan’s tourism industry, promoting the development of TCM health tourism and making it a new highlight and growth point for Yunnan’s tourism sector. Below are specific contributions and collaborations:

1. Exploring the “Ethnic Medicine + Tourism” Model

President Ding Zhongtao (丁中涛) of YUTCM proposed that integrating tourism with TCM health preservation is a practical approach to boosting Yunnan’s tourism development. As a province rich in TCM and ethnic medicine resources, Yunnan can leverage its unique herbal medicine resources and ethnic medical systems to explore the “Ethnic Medicine + Tourism + Health Preservation” model, driving the development of the entire tourism industry chain.

2. Implementation of TCM Health Tourism Projects

YUTCM collaborates with enterprises to promote TCM health tourism projects. For example, Yunnan Kaixuanli Industrial and Trade Group (云南凯旋利工贸集团) partnered with YUTCM to build the “Hundred Herbs Hall · TCM Town” (百草堂·中医小镇) in Anning Hot Springs (昆明安宁温泉), exploring a TCM-based “medical and health integration” service model. Additionally, the Kunming Xinglin Grand View Garden (昆明杏林大观园) project integrates TCM culture, leisure tourism, science education, and health preservation to create a comprehensive cultural and creative industrial park.

3. Development of Tibetan Medicine Cultural Tourism

YUTCM actively researches and develops Tibetan medicine cultural tourism. For instance, in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (迪庆藏族自治州), the university combines Tibetan medicine culture with the tourism industry, proposing strategies such as creating integrated health tourism resorts, establishing study-travel models, and launching experiential Tibetan medicine tourism programs. These initiatives enrich tourism offerings and promote the inheritance and development of Tibetan medicine culture.

4. Academic Research on Ethnic Medicine Cultural Tourism

YUTCM conducts numerous research projects on the integration of ethnic medicine and cultural tourism. For example, Dr. Duan Zhongyu (段忠玉) leads the project “Research on the Integration and Development of Yunnan Ethnic Medicine Culture and Tourism” (云南民族医药文化与旅游融合发展对策研究), aiming to deepen the integration of ethnic medicine and tourism through academic research. The university also explores Lisu ethnic medicine (傈僳族医药) cultural tourism, combining ethnic medicine resources with tourism to create unique cultural tourism products.

5. Interaction Between TCM Culture and Tourism

YUTCM promotes the interaction between TCM culture and tourism by integrating TCM elements into the six key aspects of tourism: “food, accommodation, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment.” This includes developing culturally rich tourism products such as Tibetan medicinal bath kits (藏药浴药包) and Tibetan incense (藏香). At the same time, tourism provides a platform for the dissemination of TCM culture, enhancing its influence through cultural tourism projects.

6. Policy Support for TCM Health Tourism

The Yunnan Provincial Government’s work report emphasizes accelerating the inheritance and innovation of TCM and ethnic medicine, identifying it as a potential driver for improving tourism quality. YUTCM actively responds to these policies by conducting academic research, collaborating on projects, and cultivating talents to promote TCM health tourism.

Conclusion

Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has injected new vitality into Yunnan’s tourism industry through the exploration of the “Ethnic Medicine + Tourism” model, the implementation of TCM health tourism projects, the development of Tibetan medicine cultural tourism, and academic research on ethnic medicine cultural tourism. This integration not only enriches the cultural content of tourism products but also promotes the inheritance and development of TCM culture, making it a new highlight of Yunnan’s tourism industry.