Tibetan medicine aims for UNESCO approval

The process of inscribing Tibetan medicine on UNESCO's intangible heritage list began as the Ministry of Culture received relevant materials from the autonomous region.

With a history of at least 2,300 years, Tibetan medicine is one of the world's four traditional medicines, the other three being Chinese, Indian and Arab. Similar to traditional Chinese medicine, Tibetans use herbs, minerals and sometimes insects and animal parts in their preparations.

The process began early in 2013 when experts from Tibet, Qinghai and Sichuan formed an application committee. The materials, including paperwork and videos, will be submitted along with applications from other provinces to UNESCO for consideration.

Tibetan medical services cover the entire autonomous region, with 19 specialized institutions and more than 50 county-level hospitals offering traditional care.

As many as 20 pharmaceutical firms are registered in the region and produce more than 360 kinds of Tibetan medicine, selling it to the rest of China and beyond.

Tibet boasts three entries on the intangible heritage list: the Epic of King Gesarn, Regong arts, and Tibetan Opera. All were added to the list in 2009.