Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is being promoted as a world cultural heritage, which could help it survive the modern age:

"The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine is working to submit a bid to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to list traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as world intangible cultural heritage.

The effort is partly aimed at easing TCM doctors' worries. They are seeing the growth of their ancient practice become stymied.

"Intangible cultural heritage" is defined by the UNESCO as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

"If it turns into a successful bid, the world cultural heritage status of TCM will help ensure the preservation of its original philosophical and physiological principles," said Lu Jiage, who manages a TCM clinic in Beijing he inherited from his father."