Guang'anmen Hospital, part of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, has developed a groundbreaking AI model that transforms traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from an abstract practice into a data-driven science. Liu Fudong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Hospital Association, recently stated, "We must trust the wisdom of our ancestors; TCM large models are very reliable." He noted that foreign countries have strong confidence in China's medical technology. Multiple TCM large models have already been fully developed and will be showcased at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

Over the past decade, China has built the world's largest medical, insurance, and disease prevention service system, with core health indicators for residents stable among the top ranks of upper-middle-income countries, Liu Fudong explained. A major challenge has been translating highly abstract and experiential TCM concepts like "Qi," "Yin-Yang," "Zang-Fu organs," and "Meridians" into machine-readable data. Turning diagnoses such as "Kidney Yang Deficiency" or "Liver Qi Stagnation" into data that algorithms can process has been a significant hurdle.

At the beginning of 2026, patient acceptance of TCM AI was still low. A doctor from the Digestive Center at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, affiliated with Capital Medical University, told a reporter during a forum at Renmin University of China, "TCM emphasizes 'treatment based on syndrome differentiation.' Many syndromes, like 'Spleen-Stomach Damp-Heat' or 'Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency,' are difficult for patients to describe with precision, let alone translate into inputs that a model can accurately identify. So, very few patients come to a TCM doctor with results from an AI."

However, in less than a year, the landscape for TCM large models in China has flourished. Li Dejuan, Deputy Director of the Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced several innovations that will be featured at CIFTIS. These include the "Guangyi·Qizhi" large model 2.0 from Guang'anmen Hospital, a TCM constitution identification system, and an embodied intelligent massage robot developed by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The exhibition will also showcase smart diagnostics, intelligent services, and the digital preservation of the experience of renowned veteran TCM doctors.

The "Guangyi·Qizhi" model is recognized as the first TCM AI large model in China to integrate the full chain of "computing power, model, and application." It was trained on 4.07 million clinical cases and a knowledge base of 14 million entries, focusing on real-world clinical research in tertiary hospitals, with strengths in electronic medical record text mining and syndrome pattern cluster analysis.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Commerce, along with several other government departments, launched a pilot program for the integrated development of TCM service consumption and trade. This initiative, titled "Originating from China, Benefiting the World," designated 18 regions as pilot areas. Over the next three years, these areas will pioneer efforts in TCM cultural exchange, promoting TCM tourism routes, health preservation services, dietary therapy, and TCM-related sports services. The goal is to meet the multi-level demands of the international wellness market by offering high-quality, diverse TCM health service packages and consumption scenarios, thereby contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global health community.

At CIFTIS in September, the Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine will lead a themed event on health and hygiene, highlighting the theme "Smart Innovation Empowers TCM, Digital Trade Benefits the World." Li Dejuan stated that the event will focus on high-level opening-up, linking health services, industrial development, and trade needs. It will spotlight TCM's internationalization, inbound consumption, digital innovation, and heritage preservation, showcasing the new progress and highlights of TCM service trade.

"TCM service trade is evolving from a single product export to a comprehensive service output that includes medical services, health management, rehabilitation, and education," Li Dejuan added. "TCM holds unique advantages and vast potential within the modern service trade system."