During the 2026 Dragon Boat Festival, Dr. Zhang Xuemei from the Intensive Care Unit, as a member of the fourth batch of China-aided TCM medical team to Cambodia, participated in two “Healthy Dragon Boat · TCM in Action” events—from a Confucius Institute classroom to a remote hydropower station construction site.

On June 15, the team held a TCM cultural experience at the Royal University of Agriculture’s Confucius Institute. Local teachers and students made festive sachets filled with herbs like mugwort and calamus, learning about their medicinal value and the TCM concept of “warding off evil.” At the TCM technique area, Zhang applied auricular seed therapy with vaccaria seeds to relieve fatigue for desk-bound participants, while acupuncture at Hegu and Zusanli amazed Cambodian students. One student exclaimed, “There are so many health secrets on the ear!”—a moment that showed Zhang the cross-cultural power of TCM.

On June 19, the team traveled to the remote Sang River Lower Stung Treng Hydropower Station, a key Belt and Road project, to offer free TCM consultations to construction workers stationed deep in the mountains. Common ailments included coronary issues, stomach problems, rhinitis, and insomnia. Zhang diagnosed a middle-aged engineer with heart-spleen deficiency and treated him with acupuncture at Neiguan, Shenmen, and Zusanli, while also prescribing Chinese patent medicines and advising on lifestyle adjustments. For another worker with recurrent rhinitis and insomnia, she used acupuncture at Yingxiang and Yintang plus ear seeds at Shenmen and subcutaneous cortex points, along with daily care tips. Given the rainy and humid season, the team also shared TCM knowledge on preventing dampness and heat, enabling self-care in this medically underserved area.

From the Confucius Institute to the power station, both events used the Dragon Boat Festival as an opportunity and TCM as a bridge to convey mutual care between China and Cambodia. Zhang expressed her deep sense of mission—as both healers and cultural ambassadors of TCM.