Meet Canton Fair, Discover Acupuncture Wellness: A TCM Landscape Health Journey for Global Friends

As the 140th Canton Fair is about to kick off, business guests from across the globe are arriving in Guangzhou for this annual trade and negotiation event. For many international travelers who constantly fly across time zones, suffer from jet lag, high-intensity business talks and chronic physical strains, this trip is no longer merely a mission to secure new orders.

Take Tim, a 41-year-old French business professional, as an example. He had long struggled with indigestion, insomnia and neck-shoulder soreness, and saw little improvement after repeated medical treatments in France. A French doctor recommended traditional Chinese medicine and suggested he try treatment in Beijing. With lingering doubts, Tim visited the acupuncture department of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Right after his first acupuncture session, he described the feeling as "my neck and shoulders instantly felt much lighter". To his surprise, combined with Chinese herbal medication, his sleep quality improved dramatically, and his chronic indigestion was significantly relieved after one full course of treatment. Today, Tim has already included a return visit to the hospital in his annual China itinerary.

Tim’s experience mirrors the growing trend of overseas people choosing to experience traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China. As a medical system inherited over thousands of years, TCM has been continuously expanding its global influence.

The World Health Organization has confirmed that acupuncture has proven therapeutic effects on more than 50 medical conditions, covering chronic pain, migraine, allergic rhinitis and many other common diseases. Non-pharmaceutical therapies including moxibustion and tuina massage, as well as modernized Chinese herbal preparations, have also received highly positive feedback from numerous foreign patients. Meanwhile, the "integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine" model has demonstrated remarkable clinical value in fields such as adjuvant cancer treatment, infertility care and diabetic complication management, attracting many international patients who have long relied on painkillers or hormone therapies at home without radical improvement, to travel to China specifically for a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan.

Tradition Meets Cutting-Edge: Forging New Global Competitiveness for Chinese Healthcare

Today, the high-quality medical resources China opens up to the international community go far beyond the calling card of traditional Chinese medicine. The enormous patient population in China has enabled local clinicians to accumulate massive experience in managing complex cases, and their expertise in treating severe diseases has been widely recognized by global peers.

In the field of precision oncology, China accounts for roughly one third of the world’s ongoing innovative drug research projects, and ranks first globally in the number of solid tumor CAR-T clinical trials, with treatment costs far lower than the average level in Europe and the United States. The waiting period for proton and heavy ion therapy is also significantly shorter than in most developed countries. For highly prevalent cancers in China such as esophageal cancer and liver cancer, decades of extensive clinical practice have refined mature diagnosis and treatment pathways, making China the "second treatment option" for many international patients. After 30 years of widespread development, minimally invasive surgery has become a standard clinical procedure, and is widely recognized by the international medical community for its advantages of minimal trauma, fast recovery and fewer complications.

Recently, the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic jointly announced the launch of clinical validation for China’s original "myocardial rotational excision surgery" in the United States, marking that this Chinese medical innovation has officially entered the global core circle of cardiac care.

In 2025, the export volume of Chinese surgical robots increased by 368.1% year on year, showing the continuously rising international recognition of China’s high-end medical devices. Furthermore, China is firmly in the first echelon of the world in stem cell research and translation, brain-computer interface and other cutting-edge fields — from regenerative islet technology that helps people with type 1 diabetes restore islet function, to the world’s first officially approved invasive brain-computer interface medical device for clinical use, the hard power of China’s modern healthcare has occupied a non-negligible position on the global stage.

Outstanding cost-effectiveness is another core competitive advantage of Chinese medical services. The state-organized centralized drug procurement is being steadily advanced on a regular basis, which has substantially cut down the costs of drugs and medical devices through bulk purchasing arrangements. A routine MRI scan costs only a few hundred RMB, basic blood tests are priced as low as several US dollars, and the highly efficient local medical process — "seeing a doctor within 15 minutes, finishing a full set of examinations within half an hour" — has greatly reduced the time and financial cost for patients seeking medical care.

Supported by exclusive entry facilitation arrangements for Canton Fair guests, the 240-hour transit visa-free policy covering all major medical hub cities, and the zero-tariff policy for imported drugs and medical devices in Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, seeking medical care in China has gradually developed from a rare individual choice into a normalized cross-border medical option.

Medical Care Meets Cultural Tourism: Unlock New Wellness Experiences Around the Greater Bay Area

Guangzhou, the host city of this Canton Fair, is already a core hub for cross-border medical services in China. The city is home to 48 tertiary hospitals and 25 international medical pilot institutions, with a mature bilingual medical service system tailored for international patients. During intensive business negotiation sessions, attending guests can easily access light wellness services such as tuina massage and TCM constitution conditioning nearby, to quickly relieve the physical fatigue accumulated from long-term business travel. After the three phases of the fair, they can also extend their trip to a short wellness journey: complete acupuncture treatment in Beijing before strolling through the Summer Palace to experience the serenity of traditional Chinese gardens, enjoy a relaxing retreat along the coastal areas of the Greater Bay Area after integrated Chinese-Western medical treatment, or explore the local urban charm of Shanghai while receiving cutting-edge medical services. The natural combination of TCM conditioning and natural cultural landscapes brings dual benefits of physical recovery and mental relaxation for guests traveling from afar.

To help overseas attending guests eliminate language and procedural barriers, Dovecure China Medical Concierge has specially designed an exclusive service package for 140th Canton Fair participants. The full coverage includes visa facilitation guidance, dedicated transfer services between the Canton Fair venues and medical institutions, bilingual medical accompaniment, appointment assistance, and medical record and report translation. This ensures guests do not need to waste energy navigating complicated medical procedures. After treatment, the platform can also customize premium cultural tours or TCM wellness routes according to each guest’s physical condition, allowing them to explore the unique regional cultures across different parts of China while recovering. The full-process one-stop thoughtful arrangement enables attending guests to perfectly balance business negotiations and health recuperation.

Open and Shared: A New Landscape of Chinese Health Services for Global Guests

This TCM wellness journey running alongside the Canton Fair not only demonstrates the timeless unique value of China’s thousands-year-old traditional medicine, but also fully reflects the comprehensive strengths of China’s modern medical services. China is continuously optimizing its policy environment for medical tourism, improving the service convenience level for cross-border medical visitors, and welcoming global guests with an open attitude, so that they can not only secure new business orders, but also experience a caring health journey from the East.

From precise and efficient cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment, to relaxing wellness retreats, from continuously improved policy support, to full-link professional service guarantees, China is providing international guests with highly efficient, professional and cost-effective full-range health solutions. More and more overseas friends are following in Tim’s footsteps, reaping the dual surprises of new business opportunities and improved health, while experiencing the unique warmth brought by the deep integration of Chinese medical services and oriental culture.