Is Tibetan medicine really safe? Let’s hear what the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member and Tibetan medicine entrepreneur have to say.

　　As the 2017 National Two Sessions were solemnly held in Beijing, China Tibet Online conducted an exclusive interview with Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairwoman of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd., to hear her discuss the content of her proposal, the inheritance of Tibetan medicine culture, and corporate social responsibility.

　　Reporter: As a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from Tibet, what are your main areas of focus this year? Could you please tell us about them?

　　Lei Jufang: This year marks the promulgation of the “Traditional Chinese Medicine Law,” finally providing a national statute to support the development of the traditional medicine industry. It can be said that this law has fulfilled a long-held dream of the traditional medicine sector. Therefore, this year I’m particularly focused on the provisions within the “Traditional Chinese Medicine Law” that pertain to classic prescriptions from traditional medicine—such as those recorded in Tibetan medical texts like the “Four Medical Tantras” and the “Jingzhu Herbal Compendium.” These classic prescriptions have been relied upon by the people of the snow-covered plateau for generations to maintain and restore their health.

　　In today’s society, time-honored classic prescriptions can play an increasingly important role. Yet under the previous framework, getting a pharmaceutical formulation approved by the state and granted a registration number for market circulation was, in the eyes of those of us in the industry, as difficult as climbing to heaven—requiring more than a decade of effort and investments totaling hundreds of millions of yuan. This made many industry insiders hesitant. But now, the “Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine” stipulates that future development of these classic prescription formulations will only require non-clinical verification before they can be put into circulation. The reason I’m so excited is that, as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, I’ve been calling for and working toward this very change for years—and this time, it’s finally becoming a reality.

　　Therefore, one of my key proposals this year is to compile a comprehensive catalog of classic prescriptions from traditional ethnic medicines. Once this catalog is established, major pharmaceutical companies and hospitals will have a solid basis for developing new products. While the compilation of classic Chinese medicine prescriptions started relatively early, the catalog for Tibetan medicine has lagged behind. This time, we are calling on the national authorities not only to step up efforts in developing such catalogs but also to prioritize their release.

　　△ Lei Jufang

　　Reporter: You’ve been dedicated to preserving and developing Tibetan medicine by leveraging modern technology, achieving numerous innovations and breakthroughs—such as overcoming the challenges of preserving and transporting certain Tibetan medicines, using physical technologies to create portable products, and integrating traditional Tibetan medicine with evidence-based modern medicine, thereby breaking through key bottlenecks on the path toward modernizing ethnic medicine. Could you share some of the latest innovations your company has achieved recently, and what are your prospects for the future?

　　△ Qizheng Tibetan Medicine

　　Reporter: Tibetan medicine is a representative of China’s traditional ethnic medicine. In your opinion, what unique advantages does Tibetan medicine have within the modern healthcare system, and what role does it play?

　　Lei Jufang: Tibetan medicine has significant advantages. First, compared to other traditional medicines, it’s much more convenient to use—often presented in the form of small pellets. Second, certain rheumatic diseases are precisely where Tibetan medicine excels. The medicinal ingredients used are all natural and safe. Moreover, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as digestive disorders are also areas where Tibetan medicine demonstrates its strengths. We still have a long way to go, and there’s still plenty of room for us to make a difference. Those of us working in this field feel a strong sense of mission and responsibility.

　　Lei Jufang: In the past, we’ve focused more on topical formulations and have also obtained a considerable number of patented achievements in this area. However, in the pharmaceutical industry, “medicine” and “pharmaceuticals,” as well as “oral” and “topical” treatments, are inseparable. Therefore, in recent years, we’ve stepped up our efforts in oral formulations, striving to include oral preparations of traditional Chinese medicine into the nation’s clinical pathways. Regarding the integration of modern physical methods with time-honored classical prescriptions, I believe these two approaches represent humanity’s twin treasures. By sharing abundant data and insights, we’re helping people better understand these treasures—essentially giving them wings. This is also a mutually reinforcing process. For example, the Tibetan medicine White Vein Ointment is applied topically; we’re now thinking about how to make this application step intelligent and automated—allowing the medication to be precisely applied to the body’s targeted areas via simple instructions. That’s exactly what we’re aiming to achieve. Modern technology has brought about countless remarkable breakthroughs, but if we can simultaneously harness the power of traditional medicine, we’ll create a synergistic “internal and external” force that greatly enhances disease recovery.

　　△ Lei Jufang at work

　　Reporter: In mainland China, more and more people are using Tibetan medicine. At the same time, there are growing concerns about the use of mineral ingredients in Tibetan medicine. How can we help everyone accept and understand the safety and efficacy of Tibetan medicine?

　　Lei Jufang: We often encounter mainland friends who, after returning from Tibet, bring back lots of Tibetan medicines—but these medicines often end up gathering dust in their cupboards, precisely because they don’t know how to take them and also have some concerns about their safety.

　　This is due to two factors: first, a lack of understanding that has led to the spread of misinformation. In fact, overall, plant-based medicines account for more than 90% of Tibetan medicine, while mineral medicines constitute only a small fraction. Moreover, Tibetan medicine excels in the preparation of mineral medicines—among all traditional mineral medicines, none are prepared as meticulously as those used in Tibetan medicine. For instance, “Zota” requires dozens of days and over a hundred processing steps before it can be transformed into a finished medicinal product—a process that effectively removes toxins and enhances therapeutic efficacy. Take, for example, arsenic trioxide used in Traditional Chinese Medicine: today, it has been found to be highly effective against leukemia and has gained widespread acclaim worldwide. This medicine has played an enormous role in the treatment and recovery of many leukemia patients. In other words, the mineral medicines of Tibetan medicine, which we often overlook, also play an equally indispensable and vital role. Consider, for example, “Zota,” a meticulously prepared medicine described in Tibetan medical texts—it can eliminate dampness toxins, gastric toxins, and blood toxins. If people were to understand these aspects, they would truly come to appreciate and cherish the invaluable treasure that is Tibetan medicine.

　　The second factor is our insufficient promotion—a responsibility that pharmaceutical research institutions and manufacturing companies simply cannot shirk. This calls for extensive clinical validation to clearly demonstrate its efficacy to the broad community of physicians and patients. I believe the light is already within reach. For example, Zhenzhu 70-Flavor Formula has already become increasingly well-known among mainland Chinese consumers. If an elderly person suffers a stroke, as soon as they hear about it, they’ll definitely come and buy it.

　　Reporter: The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of China’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity, yet it is also among the country’s most ecologically fragile areas. We’ve learned that in recent years, you’ve been consistently calling for the establishment of resource conservation zones on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to ensure the sustainable utilization of Tibetan medicinal resources, drawing widespread attention from the outside world. How is this work progressing now?

　　Lei Jufang: Last year, this proposal received tremendous attention at the autonomous region level in Tibet. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference even organized a special meeting involving various departments to discuss how best to implement it. This year, the Autonomous Region’s Development and Reform Commission has also listed the proposal as a project aimed at establishing a Tibetan medicinal herb seed bank based on conservation efforts. Initially, the seed bank will be set up in Linzhi, and then expanded to other regions.

　　Reporter: You’ve been vigorously cultivating young Tibetan medicine professionals, and your company has also recruited a large number of rural Tibetan doctors from grassroots communities. Could you tell us how these individuals are faring now? What do you see as the significant implications of this initiative? Are there any further training programs or goals planned for them?

　　Lei Jufang: Qizheng has established the Milin Tibetan Medicine School in Milin County, Nyingchi. This school deeply moves and comforts me. Over the past decade or so, it has already produced two graduating classes. The students are trained using the most traditional methods: they rise early—before 5 a.m.—every day to recite the “Four Medical Tantras,” followed by classroom instruction in the morning and hands-on diagnostic practice in the afternoon. After graduation, these students are essentially equipped with the basic skills required of a rural doctor—including diagnosis, prescribing medication, providing treatment, and even skillfully gathering and preparing herbal medicines. At a recent forum on the preservation of Tibetan culture in China, I shared our experience in this regard, which sparked an enormous response. Even Tibetan studies experts from abroad have remarked that this is precisely the authentic, traditional model of Tibetan medical education.

　　We have a very typical example: In Qinghai’s Tongren County, in the Anduo region, a herder’s child failed to get into college and felt deeply discouraged. His parents also felt disappointed in him. Just when they didn’t know what to do next, they heard about the Qizheng Tibetan Medicine School and were introduced to it by someone. After six years of study and graduation, he became a highly skilled Tibetan physician at his county’s Tibetan medicine hospital, gaining some local fame. Many people now specifically seek him out for medical treatment. We’ve seen how a young person who was once deeply confused, through several years of education and training, has developed strong professional qualities, as well as a positive mindset and a clear vision—ultimately becoming a valuable talent.

　　Reporter: Do you think this educational model is worth promoting?

　　Lei Jufang: At least when it comes to training grassroots doctors, this is an excellent approach. For example, students trained in formal university programs often still find it quite difficult to enter clinical practice—fresh graduates simply aren't ready to function as doctors yet. Our educational model combines theory with practice, allowing students to learn and practice simultaneously, which is the fastest way to get them into real-world practice. This is also the traditional training model of Tibetan medicine. Therefore, I believe this represents a very good model for cultural preservation—for instance, the “Zotai” preparation method and the nectar-blessing ritual have already been listed by the autonomous region as intangible cultural heritage preservation projects.

　　Reporter: We’ve actually done a great deal of work in the preservation and inheritance of Tibetan medicine. What do you think about the current state of Tibetan medical culture’s inheritance? Should various Tibetan medical practices be included as intangible cultural heritage projects?

　　Lei Jufang: This is entirely justified. It would be a pity if “intangible cultural heritage” were to lack Tibetan medicine, because Tibetan medicine has been best preserved through the transmission within traditional medical education. As for what we mean by “transmission,” the most crucial factor is that the practitioners themselves are imbued with deep cultural confidence and a strong sense of mission toward this tradition—something rarely seen in other traditional medical systems. Secondly...

　　The inheritance of Tibetan medical culture has never been lost nor distorted. From Yutok Yontan Gonpo through successive generations of master physicians to modern masters such as Chökyi Gyaltsen, we can see that the lineage of transmission from ancient times to the present has remained remarkably intact. Although each era has seen numerous innovations, there has never been any disruptive or discordant influence. Just like a great tree whose branches and leaves grow ever more luxuriant, the main trunk of this tradition remains strikingly clear.

　　Reporter: Besides the inheritance of its own cultural traditions, has the influence of modern science and technology also impacted the traditional Tibetan medicine? Is the traditional Tibetan medicine itself absorbing new ideas and innovating?

　　Lei Jufang: That’s certain—any tradition is constantly absorbing new influences. However, the absorption of certain elements will not undermine the core strength or the inner spirit of the tradition itself. For example, today Tibetan hospitals are adopting new technologies in both external treatment methods and medical instruments. Human beings are continually advancing; if a culture fails to embrace new achievements, its future development will inevitably be affected.

　　Reporting media: China Tibet Online

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