Knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine improving in China

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's health literacy rate for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an indicator of the public's knowledge, recognition, and trust in TCM, has seen steady growth over the past years, an official told a press conference on Thursday.

The TCM literacy rate is obtained through an annual nationwide survey launched in 2016, said Xing Chao, an official with the National Administration of TCM. Data from the administration shows that the rate was 21.26 percent in 2021.

The rate refers to the percentage of people with a basic understanding of the fundamental ideas, healthy lifestyle, therapy, cultural context, and information of TCM among the entire population.

According to a national promotion plan for the TCM culture released earlier this week, the literacy rate was expected to reach 25 percent by the end of 2025.

Noting that China achieved the target set for 2020 two years ahead of schedule, Xing said the rate increased by nearly 8 percentage points to 20.69 percent during the 2016-2020 period.

Xing said the 25 percent goal was set based on a statistical analysis of the data from 2016 to 2020, adding that the administration is confident that the target will be achieved by vigorously promoting TCM culture among the public.