Guangcai·Tibet Cultural Preservation and Inheritance Special Fund: Preserving Tibetan Medical Culture and Cultivating Tibetan Medicine Talents

　　In 2007, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, with the support of the China Guangcai Cause Foundation, established the “Guangcai Special Fund for the Protection and Inheritance of Tibetan Culture.” In 2017, the Tibet Cultural Protection and Development Association under the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee launched a special initiative to support grassroots Tibetan medical education in ethnic minority regions. Lei Jufang, Executive Director of the Tibet Cultural Protection and Development Association and Chairwoman of the Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Group, believes that after more than 20 years of practice, the Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Group has developed its own distinctive approach to the protection and inheritance of Tibetan medicine culture—a choice driven by commercial considerations as well as a commitment to social responsibility.

　　“Traditional medicine, including Tibetan medicine, is the crystallization of human wisdom and can provide future generations with an even richer array of therapeutic options. It deserves to be preserved and promoted. After more than 20 years of practice, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Group has developed its own unique approach to protecting and passing on Tibetan medical culture—a choice that is both a business decision and a commitment to social responsibility.” Lei Jufang, Chairwoman of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Group, has been deeply rooted in ethnic minority regions for over 20 years and has made cultural preservation one of the core issues for the company’s sustainable development, integrating it into the company’s overall sustainability plan.

　　In 2007, with the support of the China Guangcai Program Foundation, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine established the “Guangcai Special Fund for the Protection and Inheritance of Tibetan Culture,” aimed at promoting social welfare and the advancement of social civilization in western China through improvements in areas such as economy, education, healthcare, public health, and culture.

　　In 2017, the Tibet Cultural Protection and Development Association under the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee launched a special initiative to support folk Tibetan medicine education in ethnic minority regions, thereby significantly addressing some of the challenges faced by such education. As an executive director of the association, Lei Jufang has also taken on responsibilities related to this project.

　　“At the source of cultural preservation, we will support the publication of classic texts by master Tibetan medicine practitioners. In terms of cultivating cultural heritage talent, we will support the reconstruction of the Five Sciences Cultural Institute and establish traditional Tibetan medicine schools. On the level of cultural dissemination, we will build a Tibetan medicine culture exhibition hall and employ a unique marketing approach that combines culture with academia to promote Tibetan medical culture. At the practical level of cultural implementation, we will support the donation and construction of Tibetan medicine clinics and the provision of Tibetan medical services. Lei Jufang deeply recognizes the urgency and necessity of establishing a special project for the protection of Tibetan medical culture and developing grassroots, traditional Tibetan medical education.”

　　Supporting the Development of Schools in Tibetan Areas

　　“Over the past 20 years, we have been committed to public welfare initiatives related to the inheritance and preservation of Tibetan medicine. We’ve not only founded traditional Tibetan medical schools but have also made every effort to support their operations. By establishing a special fund, we’ve provided systematic support to these traditional Tibetan medical schools, enabling them to continuously train qualified Tibetan village doctors who are willing to put down roots in rural areas and serve the grassroots community. These doctors are an indispensable force in passing on the legacy of traditional Tibetan medicine,” a relevant official from Qizheng Tibetan Medicine told reporters.

　　In recent years, Lei Jufang has conducted on-site visits to grassroots traditional Tibetan medicine education initiatives in Tibetan areas, traveling over 5,000 kilometers by car. She visited folk Tibetan medicine education institutions in Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, and other regions, discovering that these institutions all possess strong qualifications for providing traditional Tibetan medical education and have made extremely important contributions to the training of primary-level physicians. She also listened carefully to the various development challenges faced by these institutions and is doing her part to support the advancement of folk Tibetan medicine education.

　　“Preserving and developing the unique scientific characteristics of Tibetan medicine within the realm of modern medicine, and passing on the traditional essence of Tibetan medicine, is particularly crucial,” said the head of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine to reporters. To inherit and promote Tibetan medicine and cultivate talent in Tibetan medical care, in 2004, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine donated funds to establish the “Gongbu Manlong Yutuo Tibetan Medical School.” The school offers free enrollment to Tibetan teenagers from impoverished families and those with physical disabilities, and employs professional teachers with many years of clinical experience in Tibetan areas to impart Tibetan medicine using traditional teaching methods.

　　Since its establishment, the school has achieved remarkable teaching results and has become an effective complement to local primary healthcare services. It has trained numerous professionals in traditional Tibetan medicine, enabling most students to practice independently even while still in school. As a result, the school attracts a large number of patients who travel from afar, drawn by its reputation. During an interview, reporters learned that the school’s outpatient clinic offers the lowest medical fees in the area, and all treatments are completely free for impoverished patients. Currently, the school has become a vital medical hub in the region, effectively addressing the longstanding challenges faced by local residents—namely, the difficulty and high cost of accessing healthcare.

　　It is understood that, to ensure the smooth operation of the school, a new kitchen, cafeteria, and library were built in 2016 with the assistance of the “Guangcai·Tibet Cultural Preservation and Inheritance Special Fund,” providing students with an even better learning environment. The project was reportedly completed and put into use that same year.

　　Jiande Qizheng Primary School in Tongren County, Qinghai Province, is located in a remote Tibetan region. Due to the poverty of most students’ families and the school’s financial difficulties, it has been unable to adequately equip itself with teaching facilities. From 2016 to 2017, the “Guangcai·Tibet Cultural Preservation and Inheritance Special Fund” provided annual funding to the school for the purchase of learning supplies. For the students of Jiande Qizheng Primary School, this support was nothing short of providing timely help in a time of need.

　　Restoring the cultural heritage of Tibetan medicine

　　“In our firsthand involvement in poverty alleviation and development efforts as well as donation activities, we’ve deeply felt that the most pressing and urgently needed improvements for the Tibetan farmers and herders in western China are in the areas of healthcare and education. At the same time, they’re most eager to embrace—and genuinely delighted by—projects aimed at preserving their ethnic and folk cultural heritage,” said the head of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine.

　　The "Four Medical Tantras," a seminal work of Tibetan medicine, is an authoritative academic reference that integrates the essence of both practical medical techniques and theoretical knowledge in Tibetan medicine. Often referred to as the "Encyclopedia of Tibetan Medicine," it represents the most systematic, comprehensive, and fundamental theoretical system in Tibetan medical science. The "Four Medical Tantras" cover classifications of various diseases, as well as topics such as physiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment methods, and medicinal formulations. Many countries and regions around the world are currently conducting research on Tibetan medicine.

　　As early as a thousand years ago, the Zhatang Monastery in Shannan, Tibet, had completely preserved the woodblock-printed Tibetan medical text known as the "Zhatang Four Medical Canons." Unfortunately, these texts were burned down during the Cultural Revolution. To carry forward and promote Tibetan medical culture, the Management Committee of Zhatang Monastery initiated the creation of new woodblock masterplates for the "Zhatang Four Medical Canons." In November 2017, in order to protect and pass on the precious treasure of ethnic medicine—the complete theoretical system of Tibetan medicine—Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, through the China Guangcai Cause Foundation’s “Guangcai·Tibet Cultural Preservation and Inheritance Special Fund,” provided funding to the Management Committee of Zhatang Monastery in Shannan, Tibet, for the project of producing a complete woodblock-printed edition of the "Four Medical Canons."

　　Currently, the project has been produced and hand-printed according to schedule. The Management Committee of Zhatang Monastery in Shannan, Tibet, is responsible for project acceptance, quality inspection, quantity verification, and the archiving of all woodblock printing matrices and books.

　　Fund Tibetan Medicine in Tibet

　　“When I first started accompanying my master on medical rounds, I was a bit puzzled to see him take out more than a hundred yuan from his own pocket after examining a herdsman and paying the patient’s medical bills. At the time, I didn’t quite understand why he did that. But after seeing this happen many times, I gradually got used to it. Sometimes, I’d even chip in a little money myself to help patients who hadn’t brought enough cash to pay for their medications,” said the assistant of Suolang Ouzhu, deputy chief physician in the Department of External Therapies at the Tibetan Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Every time Suolang Ouzhu encounters a patient who can’t afford the cost of medicine, he always pulls out some money from his own wallet to help them.

　　At the entrance of the Tibetan Medicine External Treatment Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region Tibetan Hospital, located on Barkhor Street in Lhasa, many patients holding appointment tickets patiently wait every day for Suolang Ouzhu to see them. In fact, on other days, Suolang Ouzhu is even busier—because word has spread among patients that he lives nearby, and long before dawn they already line up at his doorstep, eagerly awaiting their turn for treatment. Suolang Ouzhu rises early each day to take each patient’s pulse and make a diagnosis, leaving him with hardly any time even to eat; he remains busy from morning until night.

　　It is understood that of the two salaries—one belonging to Sorang Ouzhu and the other to his wife—one is used to cover the family’s daily expenses, while the other is entirely devoted to helping patients from financially disadvantaged families by providing them with medicine, medical treatment, and living assistance. “As a physician, it’s only natural for me to do something for patients, especially those who are poor and struggling,” Sorang Ouzhu told reporters. “I feel deeply gratified to be able to do some good deeds for the people in the Tibetan areas, and I don’t feel any hardship at all.”

　　During a research trip to Tibet, Lei Jufang learned about the remarkable deeds of Suolang Ouzhu. She immediately collaborated with the China Guangcai Cause Foundation to launch the 2017 “Guangcai—Tibet Cultural Preservation and Heritage Special Fund,” providing Suolang Ouzhu’s Tibetan medicine initiative with funding totaling 67,672 yuan, which will be used to provide free medical treatment to severely impoverished patients in remote Tibetan areas.

　　Establish “Hundred Tibetan Medicine Clinics in the Tibetan Areas”

　　“During our research, we found that Tibetan medicine is not only deeply trusted by the Tibetan people due to its long-standing traditions, but also plays an important role in providing medical care thanks to its practical and convenient implementation in Tibetan areas. This realization sparked the idea of leveraging local medical resources to develop healthcare services in remote Tibetan regions,” a relevant official from Qizheng Tibetan Medicine told reporters.

　　In 2008, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine launched the “Hundred Tibetan Medical Clinics in Tibetan Areas” project, providing funding and support for the establishment of Tibetan medical clinics in Tibetan regions—including Qinghai Province—targeting veteran Tibetan doctors or those who have been practicing medicine locally for several years. The initiative has received recognition from both the local population and experts in the field of Tibetan medical and health care. The “Hundred Tibetan Medical Clinics” project plans to establish 100 such clinics over a period of 10 to 15 years across the five Tibetan autonomous prefectures, offering convenient and affordable medical services to local residents. Currently, the project has been filed with the Health Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Health Department of Gansu Province.

　　The Qianbulu Temple Clinic in Qinghai is located in Erdi Township, Gonghe County, Qinghai Province. It was built adjacent to the Qianbulu Temple and is about 20 kilometers from the county seat. The clinic’s highest elevation is 4,877 meters. The Qianbulu Temple has a history of nearly three hundred years and attracts numerous visiting herders. The temple boasts Tibetan medical resources with over a decade of clinical experience, particularly under the guidance of the renowned Tibetan physician Teacher Nima, who plays an important role in providing medical care to the local community. Following the completion of the clinic, it will leverage the existing Tibetan medical resources of the Qianbulu Temple to serve as a healthcare hub for the five pastoral committees under Erdi Township: Erdi, Lalong, Qukena, Yangrang, and Qieza—both village and pastoral committees.

　　Located in Sitan Village, Wushi Town, Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, at an altitude of over 2,500 meters, the facility boasts Tibetan medical resources with nationally recognized medical qualifications. For many years, it has provided medical care and diagnosis services to the local community. However, it has long lacked a convenient and suitable medical treatment venue. Therefore, the “Guangcai Tibet Cultural Preservation and Inheritance Special Fund” has provided funding of 333,389 yuan, significantly improving the medical environment.

　　The Tibetan medicine clinic in Longzi County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, is located in southern Tibet at an average altitude of 3,900 meters. It’s a border township with a population of over 7,000 people. Due to the region’s underdeveloped economy and inconvenient transportation, local residents face great difficulties in seeking medical care and obtaining medicines. Teacher Jia Yang Lunzhu, a renowned Tibetan medicine expert specializing in external treatments, has long harbored the wish to establish a clinic here. Thanks to his active efforts, all necessary procedures have been completed—but due to a lack of funds, the project has had to be repeatedly postponed. Qizheng Tibetan Medicine and the China Guangcai Cause Foundation have launched the “Guangcai—Tibet Cultural Preservation and Inheritance Special Fund,” providing funding of 330,000 yuan to support the construction of this Tibetan medicine clinic.

　　It is reported that folk Tibetan medical education is one of the indispensable ways to preserve and carry forward Tibetan medical culture. Emphasizing the development of hands-on practical skills, folk Tibetan medical education serves as an important complement to modern Tibetan medical education. Students who have received folk Tibetan medical education have now become the backbone of primary healthcare services in Tibetan areas.

　　The reporter learned through interviews that for many years, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has been deeply committed to public welfare undertakings—ranging from donating to build roads and providing assistance to orphans and the disabled to participating in the "Guangcai" initiative and promoting corporate social responsibility. Today, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has established a sustained mechanism for fulfilling its social responsibilities.

　　“Giving back to society is our greatest aspiration.” As Lei Jufang has steadily expanded her business, she has integrated the word “public welfare” into her enterprise, gradually realizing her dream of developing a national enterprise and giving back to society. Just as the Guangcai Initiative has, in its development, gradually forged the Guangcai spirit—“remembering the source of one’s wealth, striving for further progress after becoming prosperous, helping those in need, pursuing common prosperity, balancing righteousness with profit, putting righteousness first, developing enterprises, and giving back to society”—the values of “doing good and benefiting others, pursuing the right path and engaging in honest work” have always been the guiding principles upheld by Qizheng Tibetan Medicine.

　　Reporting Media: China Guangcai Project Foundation

　　Report link: http://www.acfic.org.cn/fgdt1/minqifengcai/201907/t20190730_135879.html