A group of international students in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, were given a guided tour of the Liaoning Vocational College of Medicine recently, learning about the history of traditional Chinese medicine and how it is being enhanced in the modern era with the help of technology.

Member of the group Olga Subi Malekani, a doctoral student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said she was impressed by how technology is being used to enhance the experience at the college’s exhibition hall.

“This is amazing! Through virtual reality, I can see the growing process of ginseng, as well as distinguish the subtle differences between wild and cultivated ginseng,” she said.

Raja Muhammad Adeel, 25, a mechanical engineering master’s student from Pakistan, learned how to select ginseng slices for tea and controlling water temperature, saying that he never knew making tea could be such an exquisite art.

“What excites me most is how these seemingly ancient skills are actually quite ‘young’,” said Bilal Shabbir Chohan, 34, a doctoral student from Pakistan, adding that through the digital exhibition and hands-on practice, he received great insight into traditional medicine.

“Our traditional Unani medicine and TCM both stem from ancient civilizations. These innovative teaching methods could revitalize our traditional medicine too,” he said.