This course will explore how and why “Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)” has been and continues to be an important part of the political and cultural identity of both people and institutions in China.

The core of the course is a study of the concepts of health and disease in Chinese medicine. Many of these concepts, qi, yin and yang, the five phases, empty and full, and the unity of the heavens and humans are part of the fabric of Chinese culture, and are therefore central to understanding other aspects of Chinese culture, such as painting, martial arts, culinary arts, and literature.