Greek people explored Chinese healthy living culture at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Exhibition of Health Culture held between June 7 and 11 in the Athens suburb of Maroussi.

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition on June 7, people enjoyed performances of Taiji (Tai Chi) and Wuqinxi (the Five-Animal Exercises) and took a close look at the 100 exhibits on display, which featured meridian health, exercise, nutrition and environmental health.

With curiosity, visitors also experienced traditional Chinese culture. They learned to write Chinese calligraphy, make sachets and moxa sticks, and had a taste of health-enhancing herbal tea. Through VR technology, they also learned about the picking of herbal plants.

Intelligent TCM diagnosis devices showcased at the exhibition also impressed the visitors. During the exhibition, lectures were also organized on a daily basis to acquaint Greeks with Chinese medicine and healthy living culture. As “diehard fans” of TCM, some Greek people took several hours’ public transport to attend the lectures every day.

The five-day exhibition was jointly held by the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum of the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM) and the municipality of Maroussi.

George Patoulis, Mayor of Maroussi, spoke highly of the long history of Chinese medicine, while looking forward to more exchanges and closer cooperation between China and Greece in terms of traditional medicine.

“Chinese medicine can save lives. I hope it can be popularized in Greece and look forward to more communication between Chinese and ancient Greek medicine.” “Greek-language books on Chinese medicine are extremely rare. I really want to see more Chinese medicine books translated into Greek in the future.” Some visitors also said the exhibition had changed their previous understanding of TCM treatment.

Chen Hongzhuan, vice principal of SHUTCM, was also present at the opening ceremony. She invited Greek friends to attend the second Shanghai Taiji Health International Symposium to be held this October, and to visit the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum.

The exhibition is the 10th stop of the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum’s overseas tour. Prior to Greece, it had been to the US, the UK, Singapore, Belgium, France, Japan, and Germany.