Chongqing - A mild herbal scent permeates the air in an acupuncture clinic in a residential area. Lu Tiantian (a pseudonym for privacy) lies under a blanket on one of the clinic’s four beds, with a thin steel needle inserted at the top of her head. She is undergoing a 45-minute acupuncture session to treat her cold symptoms.

Lu, 26, has turned to acupuncture for illness relief ever since it helped treat her depression three years ago. Acupuncture, a core technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), involves practitioners using needles to stimulate specific points on the body to balance energy flow and treat various ailments.

A doctor is pulse-diagnosing a girl in a TCM free clinic. (Photo/Liangjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital)

Lu recalls that a friend’s mother recommended the clinic to her after she had gone through multiple unsuccessful psychological therapies. Her first acupuncture session ended her months-long insomnia, and her condition gradually improved over a six-month course of treatment.

She describes her clinical experiences as "miraculous" and says she now feels mentally and physically healthier after adopting daily habits recommended by her acupuncture practitioner. Like Lu, a surging number of young people are inclined to consult TCM for health solutions.

Data from Liangjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital show that the hospital's patient attendance of patients aged 18 to 26 nearly quadrupled between 2022 and October 2024.

Yang Xun, a doctor specializing in health preservation and disease prevention, said that raising health awareness and easier access to TCM knowledge have resulted in TCM's increasing popularity among the younger generation.

According to Yang, the main issues affecting her young patients are pressure, lack of exercise, poor diet, and mental fatigue. She noted that most young people are well-educated and eager to enhance their health and quality of life.

They believe that TCM better meets their needs by viewing the human body as an integrated whole, addressing the root cause rather than just the symptoms, and preventing the recurrence of illness.

An influential lifestyle app in China that targets young users has more than two million notes posted with Traditional Chinese Medicine (中药) as keywords and 20 million motes are related to health prevention.

Liangjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. (Photo/Liangjiang)

Many accounts, presented as professional TCM practitioners, have amassed large followings by sharing TCM tips, remedies, and ingredients. Food therapy and daily practices like foot baths are among the most popular topics.

Although social media platforms help spread TCM knowledge, Yang said it is necessary to consult a doctor before following suggestions from these platforms.

She elaborated that instead of one-size-fits-all solutions, TCM offers tailored solutions for each patient based on their health condition, and the remedies vary in different seasons and geographic locations.