Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine

» Hangzhou, Zhe Jiang

Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

The Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the only state-level professional Chinese medicine museum in China. It is seated at the foot of Wu Hill in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The museum is housed in the restored ancient structure - Hu Qing Yu Tang, meaning that it is also known as Hu Qing Yu Tang Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Hu Qing Yu Tang

Hu Qing Yu Tang was a Chinese pharmacy which began business in 1874. It had won a great fame during its development. People regarded it as the 'King of Medicine' in southern China. Hu Xueyan, the first boss of the pharmacy, was not only a successful businessman but also a high-class official in the imperial court. In China's feudal society, people doing business were widely looked down upon whereas state officials were highly respected.

What to visit

Many tourists are attracted to the museum to not only appreciate the treasures of Chinese medicine, but also to admire its magnificent architectural complexities and to learn more about Hu's legendary stories. The house is typical of the garden architectural style in southern China. The museum is contained within the pharmacy and has a wide collection of valuable literature on traditional Chinese medicine as well as other varieties of traditional medicines.

Five parts

Covering more than 4000 square meters of building area, the museum consists of five parts: the Exhibition Hall, the Medicine Preparation Hall, the Chinese Health Care Clinic, the Restaurant of Medicinal Diet and the Sales Department.

• Exhibition Hall
  It introduces the development of Chinese medicine, including its origin, the life of well-known doctors in its long history, famous books of medical science and China's medicine exchange with foreign countries, etc. The history of Chinese traditional medicine is demonstrated through a great number of items and descriptions, including anecdotes of famous Chinese doctors in history such as Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Lishizhen.
• Medicine Preparation Hall
  In the Medicine Preparation Hall, the museum's staff also performs the arts of traditional pharmaceutics. If you are interested, you can even try it yourself.
• Chinese Health Care Clinic
  In the Chinese Health Care Clinic, visitors have the opportunity to receive Chinese-style health care served by experienced doctors.
• Restaurant of Medicinal Diet
  It provides visitors with numerous medicinal diets which are good for human health. The medicinal diets possessed of the actions of traditional Chinese medicines and the flavors of Chinese diets. Clients can benefit from the disease prevention and anti-aging actions while enjoying delicacies.
• Sales Department
  It is a sales counter of the pharmaceutical factory as well as a place for visitors to select and buy medicines, including patent medicines of superior quality produced by the Hu Qing Yu Tang pharmaceutical factory.

Displays

Basic displays in the museum include the History of Traditional Chinese Medicines, the History of the Huqingyutang and Samples of Chinese Herbal Medicines and Patent Medicines. Among the collections, the most precious are medicinal materials unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tombs in Hunan Province, Hemudu Site of Zhejiang Province, the Liangchu Culture of Zhejiang, and a Song (960-1279) sunken ship in Quanzhou of Fujian Province, and some hundred-year-old medicinal production tools.

When to visit

• Opening Hours: 8:30a.m. - 16:00p.m.

Attractions around » Hangzhou, Zhe Jiang

Natural Scene

• West Lake
• Mt. Putuoshan
• Lake Qiandaohu
• Feilaifeng Peak
• Solitary Hill
• Red Carp Pond
• Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds
• Qiantang River
• Hupao Spring
• Grand Canal

Historical Site

• Lingyin Temple
• Ancient Town of Wuzhen
• Liuhe Pagoda
• Hefang Street
• Tomb of General Yue Fei

Cultural Site

• Hangzhou Botanical Garden
• National Tea Museum
• China National Silk Museum
• Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Orchid Pavilion

Day Entertainment & Sports

• Jian Lake Golf Culb

Shopping & Leisure

• Hefang Street

Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine Highlights

Museum in Great China

• Forbidden City
• Terracotta Warriors and Horses
• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
• Sanxingdui Ruins
• Dunhuang Museum
• National Museum of China
• Shanghai Museum
• Weijin Art Gallery
• Gansu Provincial Museum
• Xi'an Banpo Museum
• Dinosaur Museum
• Han Yang Ling Museum
• Forest of Stone Steles Museum
• Tibet Museum
• Jingdezhen Ceramic History Museum
• Dongba Museum
• Chongqing Three Gorges Museum
• Hubei Provincial Museum
• Shanghai History Museum
• Great Wall Museum
• Memorial Hall to the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre
• Han Dynasty Tomb Museum
• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• Xianyang Museum
• Shandong Provincial Museum
• Nanjing Museum
• Meteorite Museum
• Salt History Museum
• Inner Mongolia Museum
• Hunan Provincial Museum
• National Tea Museum
• China National Silk Museum
• Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Luoyang Museum
• Chen Family Temple

Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. Hangzhou's weather and something we need to know

  Food

1. What's the specialty of Hangzhou cuisine?
2. What are some famous restaurants in Hangzhou?

  Shopping

1. What are the best souvenirs in Hangzhou?

  Customs

1. What are some local festivals in Hangzhou?

• Hangzhou's weather and something we need to know

  Hangzhou's weather is always warm and humid, with a clear division of four seasons.

  The peak season usually starts in March and lasts for a month, due to a flower-blooming season, with a temperature of 9 to 15 C.

  From late June to early July, it is the plum rain season. Rainfalls are very unpredictable. Typhoon takes places in the early August with pouring rains, so during this period of time, an umbrella is always needed when you prepare to go out.

  The winter in Hangzhou is just like other cities' in south China, with piercing cold. Warm clothes are strongly suggested.

  If you want to take a walk alongside the West Lake, please wear some warm clothes too, to avoid from getting a clod which will affect your journey.

  Each season in Hangzhou has its own splendid view and specialty, which are all worth visiting.

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• What's the specialty of Hangzhou cuisine?

  Hangzhou cuisine does have it's own characteristics: smells nice, tastes good and looks pleasant. Fresh tastes is the most well-known specialty of Hangzhou cuisine.

  The most famous dishes are Fish Maw with Chinese Broccoli, Dongpo Pork, West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy, etc.

  You can not underestimate Hangzhou's snacks. Thousands years of history provides a peculiarity of Hangzhou snacks. Congbaohui, Cat Ears (Do not panic. It's not really cat's ears. It's dough in a cat's ear's shape and is cooked in different ways), Noodles with Preserved Vegetable and Sliced Pork and Bamboo Shoots in Soup, Crisp Cakes, etc.

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• What are some famous restaurants in Hangzhou?

  Louwailou Restaurant

  Built in the 1840s by a Qing Dynasty Noble, Louwailou Restaurant is said to be the oldest restaurant in China. Many foreign heads have dined there when visiting this city.

  The Restaurant features authentic Hangzhou cuisine. Tasty food served including West Lake Carp in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Beggar's Chicken as well as Dragon Well Tea served with snacks.

  Address: No 30 Gushan Road
  Tel: (0571) 8796 9023
  Opening Hours: Open daily 11:30am - 2:30pm and 4:30pm - 8:30pm

  Tianwaitian Restaurant

  This is also a very old restaurant first opened in 1910. its nice location close to the Lingyin Temple, tasty seafood and warm service make the restaurant very popular eating place for tourist.

  Address: No. 2 Tianzhu Road, outside the Peak Flown from Afar Park entrance
  Tel: (0571) 8796 0599
  Opening hours: Open Daily 7am - 9pm
  

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• What are the best souvenirs to best in Hangzhou?

  Silk

  Hangzhou is well known for producing excellent silks, including satins.

  The best place for purchasing silk in Hangzhou is at Hangzhou Silk City, the biggest silk wholesale and retail market in China with more than 600 silk enterprises dealing in a wide variety of pure silk fabrics, garments, handicraft articles, scarves, and ties.

  It is located at No.253 Xinhua Road (at the intersection of Fengqi Road, Tiyuchang Road, and Xinhua Road). You can get to the site by bus No.11 and 28.

  Tea

  Hangzhou Longjing Tea (Dragon Well Tea) is considered China's best. It is not only famous for its unique green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste, and flat appearance, but is also regarded as a health elixir.

  The tea falls into different grades; the best is the first pick of a year, normally in late March or early April.

  Besides its good quality, Longjing Tea also enjoys a famous long history. If you are interested in tea culture and history, Meijiawu Village in West Lake District is the ideal spot where you can have a cup of tea, watch a tea ceremony, and select tea under professional guidance.

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• What are some local festivals in Hangzhou?

  There are some remarkable festivals in Hangzhou, maybe you will experience one of them if you are lucky enough:
  

  • Dragon Well Tea Festival (April-May)
    The annual Dragon Well Tea Festival, hosted by Dragon Well Village, attracts people from everywhere to take part in activities such as picking tea, drinking tea, enjoying a tea ceremony, and walking in the countryside.
    
    
  • West Lake Lotus Festival (July-August)
    The main activities of this festival include viewing the beautiful lotus, picking lotus seed pods, shelling lotus seed, watching folk drama performances, and visiting the lotus exhibition. The host area is one of the scenic spots of West Lake-Qu Yuan Feng He.
    
    
  • West Lake Osmanthus Festival (September-October)
    Since osmanthus is the city flower of Hangzhou, the government has decreed that each year during September when osmanthus blooms, Hangzhou citizens host the West Lake Osmanthus Festival.
    
    The sites of the celebration are usually in Man Long Gui Yu Park, Man Jue Long Village, and Hangzhou Arboretum. Appreciating osmanthus and the food made of osmanthus, drinking tea, watching shows and painting exhibitions are the main activities during the festival.
    
    
  • China International Qiantang River Tidal Bore Festival (September-the 18th day of the eighth lunar month)
    During this tourist-friendly festival, one of the largest in China, visitors arrive to appreciate the great spectacle of the Qiantang River Bore. The bore is a unique natural phenomenon triggered by the pull of the moon.
    
    When the tides come in, a wave is produced so large that it surges several meters high. Every year this magnificent wonder draws thousands of tourists from all over the world.
    
    
  • West Lake International Fireworks Show (In the middle of October)
    This dazzling event in West Lake draws thousand of viewers to the fireworks site to witness the glittering and colorful skyline. Thousands of new fireworks products from different countries entertain enthusiastic visitors.
  
  
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