Tibet’s world-renowned traditional medicines date back thousands of years. Today we visit their birthplace - Dege County in southwestern Sichuan Province. Lets find out more about this unique practice...

Hui Yu, CCTV reporter, said, "The first medical clinic in Dege County was born in a temple in 1450 . In 1959, this medical clinic was moved to Dege Parkhang just behind me. These well educated doctors of this clinic worked here for nearly 20 years and just because of their presence, this famous Dege Parkhang of 300 years of history, was well preserved and protected from the erosion of time."

On the street in front of the Dege Parkhang, we notice a small clinic. This inconspicuous place is the second clinic of Dege Tibetan Hospital . A lot of people come to this clinic everyday, and this is the place we meet the director of Dege Tibetan Hospital, Xiong Ga. He is patiently diagnosing and writing prescription for a Tibetan granny. This small clinic is filled with all kinds of Tibetan medicine.

On the street in front of the Dege Parkhang, we come across a small inconspicuous place…it’s one of Dege Tibetan Hospital’s clinics. Dozens of patients visit here every day in search of help…and this where we meet the hospital’s director, Xiong Ga. He is patiently examining a Tibetan grand-motherland writing a prescription for her. This small clinic is filled with all kinds of unusual and unique Tibetan medicines.

Xiong Ga said, "The Ren Qing series of medicine is very valuable. The medicine added with Zuota is called Ren Qing series.This box of medicine is about 30 yuan and it’s for the treatment of diseases of the digestive system."

Tibetan medicine dates back more than 1200 years. These Tibetan medical encyclopaedias record that the medicines are made up of animal and mineral extracts.For common complaints, there are more than 360 remedies.

In addition to local residents, many visitors come to Dege for its famous Tibetan medicine. As well as treating local people, many visitors travel from far afield to Dege in search of special Tibetan remedies.

Visitor said, “I’m here on business. I’m from Ganzi of Sichuan. My friend recommends me come over to buy this medicine.”

"Last year the Dege Tibetan hospital received government support amounting to 18 million Yuan to fund renovation and expansion.The two clinics are now busy dealing with the day-to-day health issues of local people. Xiong Ga’s home has now been transformed into a clinic…a first-floor room in this beautiful Tibetan house has been opened for patients… "

Xiong Ga said, "My father is now 72 years old. Sometimes, more than one hundred patients come to our home in one day. My father prepare these medicine by himself, I’m just helping him when I come back from work."

Xiong Ga’s father, professor Re Ba is the former director of the hospital.

Here on one wall a special certificate…awarded to Professor Re Ba in Sri Lanka .

Xiong Ga said, "I should say my father is my teacher. He is very strict with me. When I was a child, other children of the village were very relaxed. They can play as they wanted. I had to get up at five o’clock in the morning every day, recite Four Medical Classics. During the spare time, I also had to learn art, calligraphy, and Tibetan. I felt suffered then. Now I can really say I have benefited from my father’s discipline."



With construction work on the new hospital facilities underway, another part of Xiong Ga’s home has been transformed into a production center, for drying and packaging pills. Xiong Ga takes us to see the newly-built drug preparation room.

It’s very modern, and governed by strict hygiene and environmental standards…in sharp contrast to traditional methods of drug preparation dating back thousands of years.

Xiong Ga said, "I think we can not throw away the past and the original way of production of Tibetan medicine. Tibetan medicine has three thousand eight hundred years of history. It has been researched very well, so we can not abandon the original things .At the same time, good modern things should be absorbed. "

It’s hoped the new hospital buildings will be ready for the end of 2013.

Xiong Ga has invited us back to see the new hospital facilities in operation.

He says the out-patient clinic will be given a new lease of life as an exhibition center, charting the history and development traditional Tibetan medicine.

More than a hundred ancient books and traditional tools will be on display.

Xiong Ga is now looking to the future, and the completion of the new facilities.

He is also looking forward to the development of Tibetan medicine…where modern methods and traditional wisdom can combine together.