LHASA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- After completing a herbal bath at a Tibetan hospital in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Tsewang Dondrup was preparing to undergo Horme therapy -- a traditional Tibetan treatment similar to moxibustion -- under his doctor's guidance.
The Tibetan, in his 50s, travels regularly to receive the Tibetan medicinal bath treatment at the Mainling Tibetan Hospital in the city of Mainling, which is over 400 kilometers east of the regional capital Lhasa. There, he finds relief for his chronic knee pain through the traditional method.
"The treatment effect is even better in combination with a hot compress," said his doctor, Pasang Tsering.
Officially called the Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan medicinal bath is described in "The Four Treatises of Tibetan Medicine," the most influential foundational work on traditional Tibetan medicine written between the 8th and 12th centuries. The herbal bath was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.
The Tibetan term "Sowa Rigpa" translates to "the knowledge of recuperation," while "Lum" refers to traditional knowledge and practices of bathing in natural hot springs, herbal water or steam to restore balance between the mind and body and to promote wellness while treating various ailments.
Pasang Tsering said that the hospital established a Tibetan medicinal bath department in 2019, which has been popular for its individually tailored formulas, high efficacy rates and minimal adverse effects.
Statistics from the regional health commission show that Xizang had 64 Tibetan medical institutions and a total of 2,780 beds in public Tibetan hospitals in 2024, with annual patient visits exceeding 1.27 million in the region, home to a population of about 3.65 million.
In the city of Shannan, some 100 kilometers from Lhasa, six enterprises are engaged in herb plantation, creating more than 140 jobs.
Phupa, general manager of one of these companies, explained that it used to gather wild medicinal herbs from nearby mountains. To protect the local ecosystem, the company began exploring methods of artificial cultivation.
"After five years of trials, we have successfully cultivated 16 types of medicinal herbs, including safflower and costus," he said.
Unlike the past, when medicine was produced based on pharmacists' experience, Tibetan medicine producers now use modern pharmaceutical technology to standardize production, ensuring consistent quality.
Zhu Rongzu, director of the Nyingchi manufacturing center of the leading Tibetan medicine company Qizheng, said that the company's iconic pain-relief patches had generated 1.6 billion yuan (226.5 million U.S. dollars) in sales in 2024, with overseas markets contributing over 2.8 million yuan as the product continued to expand globally.
The company also collaborates with leading medical and research institutions, and is developing more precise and convenient new medicines, having published over 500 pharmacological studies to date.
Data from the regional health commission shows that Xizang has 17 Tibetan medicine production companies with a cumulative annual output exceeding 3.4 billion yuan.
The Xizang University of Tibetan Medicine had produced over 7,000 undergraduates and 400 postgraduates by the end of 2024, reflecting an evolving talent development system. ■
