政府新闻
冬天来了，膏房的季节开始了 2024-11-07
Bronze vessels at the Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine used to make gaofang, a seasonal herbal paste tonic.
When Thursday marked the fall of lidong, the start of winter in the Chinese solar calendar, the 100 bronze vessels at the Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine began to make gaofang.
While other hospitals hire pharmaceutical companies to produce the seasonal herbal paste tonic, Yueyang is the only one in the city to maintain tradition by having a special plant to make the tonic. The process takes up to two days and each patient's gaofang is tailor-made.
It is not only traditional Chinese medicine but also a persistence in traditional practice and cultural heritage in modern society, officials from Yueyang Hospital said.
Gaofang is made of condensed liquid herbal medicines full of ingredients such as honey and brown sugar. Each paste is made according to a doctor's prescription.
Under traditional Chinese medicine theory, taking gaofang can enhance health, especially for the elderly and people with weak immunity and chronic diseases. It also helps young and middle-aged people with strong work pressures or unhealthy lifestyles.
Yueyang has been making the tonic for more than 40 years and prescribes and makes about 20,000 gaofang a year.
"Gaofang is not only a TCM therapy but also an important part of Chinese tradition and culture," said Dr Zhou Jia, the hospital's president. "Yueyang is the hospital with the longest history, the best ability and the biggest quantity in making gaofang. Our hospital's gaofang-making technique is listed as Shanghai's intangible cultural heritage.
"To promote TCM theory, we have established a special exhibition hall on the upstairs of the gaofang plant to showcase gaofang-making process and offer an introduction on TCM culture and promote health education on disease prevention and control. People who are interested in TCM are welcome to visit the hall. Expats are also very welcome to experience and try TCM skills and gaofang."
Source: Shanghai Daily
