Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Hangzhou Pharmacy Tradition

For centuries, Hangzhou has been a centre of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a discipline that blends empirical observation, herbal knowledge and philosophical principles rooted in classical Chinese thought. During the Southern Song dynasty, when the city flourished as an imperial capital, medical scholars, herbalists and pharmacists gathered here, supported by a court that valued both scholarship and refined craftsmanship. Their legacy endures in the city’s traditional pharmacies, many of which still follow practices established hundreds of years ago.

Traditional Chinese medicine rests on the belief that health depends on the balance of opposing yet complementary forces, often described as yin and yang, and on the unobstructed flow of qi, the body’s vital energy. Diagnosis traditionally involves careful observation: examining the tongue, feeling the pulse at several positions, and asking detailed questions about sleep, appetite and emotional state. Treatments may include acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, and above all, the use of medicinal herbs.

Hu Qing Yu Tang Pharmacy

Among Hangzhou’s pharmacies, Hu Qing Yu Tang is the most celebrated. Founded in 1874 by Hu Xueyan, a prominent merchant and philanthropist of the late Qing dynasty, it was conceived not merely as a shop but as a model institution for the ethical practice of medicine. Hu chose a site on the southern edge of West Lake’s historic district, close to the old commercial streets that once supplied the city’s markets with silk, tea and medicinal herbs. Its location allowed the pharmacy to serve both local residents and the many travellers who passed through Hangzhou on their way to the lake’s temples and gardens.

Architecturally, Hu Qing Yu Tang reflects the refined craftsmanship of the period. Its courtyards, carved wooden screens and stone-paved walkways evoke the atmosphere of a scholar’s residence rather than a commercial establishment. Within its workrooms, pharmacists prepared medicines by hand, slicing, steaming and roasting herbs according to precise methods believed to enhance their therapeutic properties. Today, the building functions both as a working dispensary and as a museum, preserving the traditional tools, drying racks and pill‑making equipment that once defined the craft.

Although many residents now combine Western medicine with TCM, the traditional pharmacy remains a trusted resource for treating chronic ailments, restoring balance after illness, or maintaining well‑being through seasonal tonics. As with West Lake and Lingyin Temple, Hu Qing Yu Tang reflects Hangzhou’s enduring ability to preserve its cultural heritage while adapting to the present. It stands as a reminder that, in this city of poets, monks and emperors, the art of healing has long been considered an essential part of a cultivated life.