"Not trying traditional Chinese medicine when you come to China — that would be a shame."
This sentiment is rapidly transforming from a casual remark into a concrete action for a growing number of international visitors. In early 2026, dentistry, health checkups, and TCM therapy officially became the "new three essentials" of traveling to China. From TikTok to Xiaohongshu, overseas influencers' medical bills are going viral — British influencer Amy posted a comparison showing a procedure that would have cost £3,800 and required a 2-year wait in the UK was completed in China in just 13 days for under £300.
In 2025, China received 82 million inbound foreign visitors (up 26.4% year-on-year), with health and medical tourism — particularly TCM — emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments. In September 2025, nine government ministries jointly issued a policy encouraging the development of specialty tourism routes that leverage China's traditional cultural resources, including TCM, for international visitors.
"Medical tourism" is reshaping China's inbound travel market landscape.
- TCM Experiences: From "Sightseeing" to "TCM Check-ins"
1. Beijing Tong Ren Tang — A Century-Old TCM Cultural Experience
Tong Ren Tang is one of China's most prestigious time-honored TCM brands. At the Tong Ren Tang Zhima Health Experience Center, foreign visitors can sample TCM herbal teas, medicinal herb-infused breads, and participate in hands-on activities like making herbal sachets and wellness mallets.
Faruk from Izmir, Turkey, remarked after his visit: "Turkey also has traditional herbs, but the way China combines TCM wellness, pharmacology, and cuisine is outstanding!"
Recommended experiences:
• Zhima Health Zero Store — A flagship center for TCM cultural heritage and international exchange, featuring a "Five Elements · Family Wellness" experience zone where visitors can make herbal sachets, try ancient herb-grinding techniques, bake five-element cookies, and practice Wuqinxi (Five-Animal Exercises)
• TCM consultation — Practitioners provide pulse diagnosis and health assessments using the four diagnostic methods (inspection, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking), offering personalized wellness advice
2. Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine — A Thousand-Year TCM Journey
Located within Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this museum houses over 14,000 artifacts and nearly 10,000 rare ancient texts. Eight themed exhibition halls tell the grand story of TCM's development through the ages.
Visitor information:
• Admission: 15 RMB per person (free on the 1st of each month)
• No reservation needed for individual visitors — walk-ins welcome
• Guided tours, expert-led walks, and Baicao Garden tours have resumed
Experience highlights:
• View ancient medical instruments, herbal specimens, and handwritten patient records
• Try the "TCM Prescription Copying Experience" — practice writing prescriptions with a calligraphy brush
• Stroll through Baicao Garden to learn about over 400 medicinal plants
• Enjoy a one-on-one pulse diagnosis and consultation with a licensed TCM practitioner
3. Lightweight TCM Wellness Experiences
At the 2026 Beijing Inbound Tourism Development Conference, United Family Healthcare's TCM consultation, meridian detection, and facial acupuncture demonstrations attracted strong interest from travel operators from multiple countries. They noted that such lightweight, immersive TCM experiences are ideal for integration into high-end customized tours.
At the Rizhao TCM Culture Month event, a DIY experience zone offered foreign visitors a fun introduction to TCM culture. Participants could try their hand at making traditional herbal incense beads — kneading fragrant clay, pressing it into molds, and stringing the finished pieces. Visitors explored the exhibition zones, trying TCM therapies, tasting wellness cuisine, and experiencing traditional crafts — getting a tangible feel for the millennia-old legacy of TCM.
4. In-Depth TCM Cultural Journeys — Sichuan, Jiangxi, and Beyond
Sichuan — The Sichuan Provincial TCM Administration has developed tailored TCM wellness routes through 44 TCM health tourism demonstration bases across the province. In 2025, Sichuan border inspection processed over 1.72 million foreign entries, up 53% year-on-year, covering tourism, business, and wellness/medical visits. Consular officials from multiple countries have experienced Sichuan-style TCM firsthand — pulse diagnosis, acupuncture, Baduanjin exercises, and making herbal sachets.
Mount Lu, Jiangxi — The Xinglin Cultural Park on Mount Lu, with over 1,800 years of "Xinglin Spring Warmth" cultural heritage, has become a TCM wellness destination. Multiple international online influencers have visited to explore TCM culture.
- Health Checkups: Premium Medical Screening & Wellness Management
1. International Medical Service Pilots
As visa-free policies continue to expand, more foreign nationals are coming to China for medical consultations. Guangdong has announced its first 25 pilot hospitals for international medical services. Foreign visitors are increasingly combining travel with health checkups, with particular interest in TCM therapies like cupping and acupuncture.
2. Premium Checkups & Customized Wellness Packages
Various regions are developing high-end TCM checkups and customized wellness packages, creating immersive TCM experience workshops and offering medicinal cuisine, allowing foreign visitors to experience the benefits of TCM firsthand.
3. Cross-Border Medical Services
"Since the second half of last year, we've seen more overseas patients coming to China," said Cai Qiang, founder of Sheng Nuo Yi Jia, a cross-border medical service company. Foreign medical visitors to China span a wide range — from TCM wellness to complex surgical procedures.
4. Telemedicine & Internet Healthcare
Shanghai has introduced policies encouraging telemedicine and internet-based healthcare services, supporting international medical service providers in offering health checkups and remote consultations.
- Hot Spring Wellness: Natural Healing Vacations
1. Chongqing — "World Hot Spring Capital"
The Tongjing Hot Spring cluster in Chongqing features 25 natural hot springs with a combined daily flow of 30,000 tons and temperatures ranging from 35 to 62°C. Springs include sand springs, hanging springs, and pearl springs, complemented by herbal medicinal baths infused with mugwort and angelica root — creating an integrated natural-ecological and TCM wellness experience. The scenic area regularly hosts international youth hot spring tours and educational visits, with specialized products like private hot spring wellness, geological study tours, and Bashu hot spring cultural experiences.
2. Lingshui, Hainan — Russian Tourists' Top Hot Spring Choice
The DoubleTree by Hilton Lingshui Hot Spring Resort draws its water from Gaofeng Hot Spring, offering private outdoor mineral spring baths with natural silicic acid mineral water — highly favored by Russian visitors. Hainan Province has launched a pilot program for integrated "TCM inbound consumption" service trade, focusing on TCM wellness, international TCM healthcare, TCM medicinal cuisine, TCM cultural promotion, and herbal sightseeing tours. Hainan has also introduced 8 new senior wellness tourism routes, covering Boao International TCM therapy, Lecheng premium medical screenings, and Li-Miao herbal bath experiences in the rainforests of Qiongzhong and Baoting.
3. Tongjiang, Heilongjiang — China-Russia Border TCM Wellness
Since the China-Russia visa-free agreement took effect, growing numbers of Russian visitors are coming to Tongjiang specifically for TCM wellness services. China's visa-free policy for Russian tourists has been extended through the end of 2027, and Tongjiang is further developing its cross-border medical wellness services with dedicated green channels for foreign patients.
4. Sinan, Guizhou — Hot Spring Wellness Boom
Sinan in Guizhou is riding a hot spring wellness tourism wave, with its pristine natural scenery and unique hot spring experiences attracting visitors from outside the province, particularly from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
5. Chengde — Ice & Snow Hot Spring Wellness
Chengde offers four inbound tour routes: ice and snow hot spring wellness, imperial cultural exploration, Great Wall hiking, and eco-cultural study tours.
6. Hunchun, Jilin — TCM + Wellness + Vacation Packages
Hunchun in Jilin Province offers "TCM + Wellness + Vacation" packages for Russian visitors. The International Department of Hunchun TCM Hospital receives a large number of Russian patients daily, with professional translation services available from registration through consultation.
- Practical Tips: What to Know Before You Go
1. Visas & Policy Benefits
Ongoing visa-free policies have made medical tourism significantly more accessible. Since February 10, 2026, ASEAN tour groups can enter Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, visa-free. The China-Russia visa-free policy in Tongjiang has been extended through the end of 2027. Some political advisors have proposed creating a dedicated "medical tourism" visa category or green channel, allowing stay durations to align with treatment cycles.
2. Pre-Trip Preparation
• Confirm appointments — Premium checkups and specialist consultations should be booked in advance through hospital international departments or cross-border medical service agencies
• Medical records — Bring English-language medical records if you have a history of relevant conditions
• Translation needs — Most international medical facilities offer English translation services, with some providing multi-language support
3. Payment & Insurance
• Payment methods — International credit cards, Alipay, and WeChat Pay are all accepted
• Travel insurance — Consider purchasing travel insurance that includes medical coverage
• Cost comparison — China offers significant value: a procedure costing over 35,000 RMB in the UK can be completed in China for under 3,000 RMB
4. Suggested Itineraries
• Short experience (1-3 days) — Beijing Tong Ren Tang experience + TCM consultation, or Shanghai TCM Museum + pulse diagnosis consultation
• Medium wellness (5-7 days) — Hainan Lingshui hot spring + TCM therapy, or Chongqing Tongjing hot spring + TCM cultural experience
• Extended wellness (10+ days) — In-depth experience at Sichuan TCM health tourism demonstration bases, or a wellness journey at Mount Lu's Xinglin Cultural Park in Jiangxi
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