As peach blossoms burst into bloom all over the mountains and valleys, the annual spring Tibetan medicine bath in Bomi County has recently commenced. Stepping into the Tibetan medicine clinic at Guxiang Town Health Center in Bomi County, one can see medical staff moving about the medicinal bath pools in an orderly fashion, deftly changing the herbal mixtures.

Tibetan medicine bath was first documented in the classic Tibetan medical text Gyushi (or Four Medical Tantras). In 2018, it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is based on the "Five-Flavor Sweet Dew Decoction," which is prepared from five pure natural Tibetan herbs—Sabina przewalskii leaves, Myricaria germanica branches, Ephedra sinica, Rhododendron anthopogonoides, and Artemisia sieversiana—through special processes such as preparing, fermentation, and more.

"Guxiang Town Health Center has been offering Tibetan medicine bath therapy since 2019. Currently, we have five wooden barrels, fully meeting the healthcare needs of local community. The Tibetan medicine bath is usually taken once in spring and once in autumn, with each treatment course lasting seven days. In addition, we also provide services such as Tibetan herbal foot soaks. To date, we have cumulatively served over 200 people with Tibetan medicine bath therapy," said Wangdu, a doctor of the health center.

In recent years, Bomi County has deeply focused on the actual needs of grassroots healthcare, fully tapped into and leveraged its unique local geographical and resource advantages, and spared no effort in developing specialized Tibetan medicine bath therapies. These therapies offer distinct medical services to patients from various regions who are plagued by chronic and frequently occurring diseases, yielding positive results and being widely welcomed.

At the medicinal bath department of the Bomi Tibetan Hospital, a steady stream of patients arrive for medicinal bath treatments. Based on the number of patients who have made prior appointments, the hospital schedules three treatment sessions each day, with each session capable of accommodating 12 patients for simultaneous medicinal baths. Medical staff strictly adhere to the standardized medicinal bath procedures, patients are only arranged to enter the bath for treatment after ensuring their key physical indicators, such as blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation, meet the required standards.

Since the launch of the specialized Tibetan medicine bath therapy in 2018, the Bomi Tibetan Hospital has treated over 3,000 patients in total and provided Tibetan medicine baths to more than 15,000 individuals. During this period, the hospital also concurrently introduced external Tibetan medical therapies, accumulating over 24,000 cases of such treatments. With the continuous improvement of infrastructure for Tibetan medicine baths and the positive word-of-mouth among patients who have benefited from the therapy, an increasing number of people are taking the initiative to learn about and pay attention to Tibetan medicine baths. This ancient therapeutic practice is thus radiating with vibrant energy and vitality in the new era.

Yang Kun, director of the Health and Family Planning Commission of Bomi County, said, "currently, including the Yigong Tea Plantation, Tibetan medicine clinics have achieved full coverage across all 11 township health centers in the county. In addition, we are actively exploring a model that integrates Tibetan medicine bath with basic public health services. We provide personalized Tibetan medicine bath health preservation plans targeting chronic diseases, geriatric conditions and more, so that Tibetan medicine can better benefit the entire population of the county. Moving forward, we will continue to increase investment, vigorously promote the upgrading and renovation of facilities, improve and perfect Tibetan medicine bath equipment, and continuously enhance service quality. We will also conduct regular training for medical personnel engaged in Tibetan medicine bath services to enhance their professional competence and skill levels, bringing health to more people."

Reporter: Xie Xiaohun, Liu Feng, Wang Ziming, Li Hongyan

Translator: Zhi Xinghua, Liu Fang

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen