The heritage of healing : the professional and cultural sustainability of Hong Kong’s traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history in Mainland China as well as in Hong Kong. In the early days before Western Medicine become popular and widespread in Hong Kong, TCM was the only and most popular way for Chinese citizen in Hong Kong for curing disease. Many people were engaged in TCM business, selling Chinese Medicine or operating Traditional Medicine Shops at that time. Tung Wah Hospital, which established in 1872, was the first hospital providing Chinese Medical inpatient and outpatient services in Hong Kong. However, due to the unfavourable government policy imposed by the colonial Government and Japanese Military during the Occupation period, the development of TCM has been suppressed and diminished almost throughout the 20th century. Approaching the 21st century, due to the gradual change of understanding toward TCM and the return of Hong Kong to Mainland China, there seems to be a revival of TCM, supported by government policy support and the promotion of international recognition. As society changes, TCM and TCM Shops will be evolved and transformed in order to achieve sustainable development. From a heritage conservation point of view, there is an urgency in documenting the details of this traditional business, while evidence and memories of TCM shops are still available. Through documentation and accessing the historical development of TCM in Hong Kong, the heritage significance, both tangible and intangible of the TCM and TCM Shops, the essence of TCM could be figured out and try our best to preserve as much as feasible so as to maintain the sustainability of TCM and TCM shop in Hong Kong. In this dissertation, the historical development of TCM since the Mid-19th century to nowadays, including the professionalization and recognition of TCM, will be illustrated to demonstrate its sustainable development in a macro environment. The author then selected three TCM shops, i.e. Shing Chai Tong Herb Co.(誠濟堂), the earliest TCM shop in Hong Kong which were closed down but preserved in the Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH), the Tai Wo Tang (大和堂), which was once a TCM shop in Kowloon City for over 80 years, recently closed down and revitalized as a café with the same name in 2018; and Yat On Sun Shing Mun Medicine Company (日安新城門藥店), a TCM shop established since 1967 in Kowloon City and still in operation, representing the TCM shops before the Second World War and after the Second World War, as the focus of this dissertation. By understanding dissertation brief history, the tangible aspects (including the exterior shopfront, the interior setting) and intangible aspects (involves the operation of the shop through the people involved and the activities they performed), it is hoped that the commonality and difference in TCM shops, as well as the difficulties and opportunities they encountered, will be revealed. The findings will be used to discuss further whether sustainability could be achieved in these three case studies from environmental, economic and social aspects. Recommendations will be made to achieve a sustainable development in a more effective and holistic approach.