More and more foreigners now travel to China to learn traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the number of foreign students who study this subject ranks at the top of all the natural science majors in China. Laowai learning TCM has become a major global trend.

Biu Abdulmumin Muhammad, a foreign student from Nigeria, is a postgraduate student at Tianjin University of TCM. He skillfully lights a cupping glass and puts it on the back of a patient to the astonishment of his classmates. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Russian student Karina Sabashkina is preparing for her zhenjiu internship. She has to recite the entirety of TCM theory, including the 12 main and collateral channels and 365 acupuncture points. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Among all the colleges that offer laowai (a Chinese term for “foreigner”) an opportunity to learn TCM, Tianjin University is one of the most popular. Nearly 3,000 foreign students come to the university to learn traditional Chinese medicine every year, with 1,100 of them participating in the full degree program.

The skilled TCM academicians and the historic city are the two biggest draws for foreigners. Gu Xinping, an Italian student with a Chinese name, said he received several offers but chose Tianjin University because it has more international exchange opportunities and he loves the architecture, history, and culture of the city.

Professor Xu Li guides foreign interns at the Baokang Hospital, where foreigners practice cupping therapy and zhenjiu is commonly used. [Photo/people.com.cn]

German student Tkacz Geb.Ott learns how to identify acupuncture points and collateral channels. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Xu Li, secretary of the International Education College of Tianjin University of TCM, said Tianjin University of TCM was one of the first colleges to accept foreigners to learn TCM as a full degree of study. In actuality, the requirements for foreign students are no different than that of their Chinese peers, so completing the degree is no easy task.

Foreign students must learn the TCM classics and even recite articles from memory. However, the most difficult skill to learn is understanding the ideas between the lines.

A pulse condition training instrument can simulate more than 20 typical pulse conditions and foreign students can practice with the instrument repetitively. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Pasanen Dzianis from Belarus (in the mirror) and Li Xiaoai from Latvia work with patients during their internship at Baokang Hospital. [Photo/people/com.cn]

Demisew, a rehabilitation doctor from Ethiopia, said "zhenjiu" (acupuncture) is very popular in his country and he hopes he can help more people with a Chinese-Western method after graduation.

To date, TCM has become an accepted practice in many countries around the world, with more than 160 countries and regions starting to use zhenjiu as a health care treatment. TCM has become a cultural bridge between China and rest of the world.