On September 17, an expert delegation from the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) and the China Association of Chinese Medicine (CACM) visited Barcelona, Spain, where a series of activities featuring lectures on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture-moxibustion, as well as a Free TCM Clinic, were held at the headquarters of the Higher Institute of Traditional Medicines (Instituto Superior de Medicinas Tradicionales, ISMET). The event was jointly supported by the United Friendship Association of Chinese Women in Spain and the Catalonia Beijing Association, with the aim of promoting TCM and acupuncture-moxibustion culture, advancing the local development of TCM in Barcelona, and facilitating international exchange with Europe.

The event comprised two main components: academic working meetings, and a public program combining TCM lectures with a Free TCM Clinic. Together, they promoted the local dissemination of TCM through professional cooperation and public outreach.

Yang Jinsheng, Secretary-General of WFAS, and Ma Jun, Deputy Secretary-General of CACM, introduced the work of their respective organizations. They expressed their willingness to strengthen communication and engagement with relevant sectors in Spain and to work together to promote the development of TCM and acupuncture-moxibustion in the country. The delegation held a working meeting with representatives of local organizations, including ISMET; FITOKI Chinese Herbal Medicine Company (Fitoterapia China S.L., FITOKI); the National Association of Professionals and Self-Employed Practitioners of Natural Therapies (Asociación Nacional de Profesionales y Autónomos de las Terapias Naturales, COFENAT); the Society of Acupuncturists of Catalonia (Societat d’Acupuntors de Catalunya, SAC) and the Association of Acupuncturists of Spain (Asociación de Acupuntores de España, AAE); the Catalan Association of Executives, Managers and Entrepreneurs (Associació Catalana d’Executius, Directius i Empresaris, ACEDE); and the Barcelona Institute of Chinese Medicine (Instituto de Medicina China Barcelona). Participants held in-depth discussions on the current development of TCM in Spain, pathways toward the standardization and official recognition of TCM locally, and other related issues. They also reached consensus on a number of areas for cooperation, including the use of Chinese herbal medicine and academic exchanges involving faculty members and students between educational institutions and hospitals in China and Spain. The participants expressed their commitment to developing Barcelona into a key hub for the expansion of TCM in the European market and strengthening the industry foundation for its long-term development and dissemination.

During the public lectures on TCM and acupuncture-moxibustion, Chinese TCM experts gave presentations on topics including TCM health preservation and acupuncture-moxibustion for disease prevention, while also interacting with members of the local Chinese community through on-site consultations, helping bring TCM health concepts closer to the community. Chief Physician Wang Yingying of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences; Chief Physician Chen Luquan of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University; and Chief Physician Dong Guirong, Professor at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Lifetime Professor at Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, provided pulse diagnosis, acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, and other TCM services to more than 20 Chinese and international participants at the Free TCM Clinic.

The Free TCM Clinic also provided a vivid opportunity for participants to experience TCM firsthand. One patient who had long suffered from arm pain was able to raise the affected arm normally after receiving acupuncture treatment from one of the experts. The immediate response drew admiration from those present and gave local participants a direct sense of the therapeutic value of TCM, further contributing to its community-level dissemination in Barcelona.

Deputy Consul General Hu Aimin (sixth from left, back row) and Consul Bao Shengxiang (first from left, back row) of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Barcelona visit the Free TCM Clinic.

Deputy Consul General Hu Aimin and Consul Bao Shengxiang of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Barcelona visited the Free TCM Clinic, met with members of the local Chinese community, and asked about their health and well-being. They also exchanged views with members of the expert delegation and spoke highly of the delegation's efforts to promote TCM culture overseas and provide TCM services to the local Chinese community.

During the event, WFAS presented certificates of appreciation to ISMET, the United Friendship Association of Chinese Women in Spain, and the Catalonia Beijing Association in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the international development of TCM and acupuncture-moxibustion and to the dissemination of TCM in Barcelona. A special exhibition on the intangible cultural heritage of TCM acupuncture and moxibustion was also held at the venue, attracting many local residents and members of the Chinese community.

Guan Jie, President of the United Friendship Association of Chinese Women in Spain (first from left), and other representatives of local Chinese community organizations receive certificates of appreciation.

The event served both as a community service initiative benefiting overseas Chinese and as a vivid example of TCM culture taking root in Barcelona. Going forward, the participating organizations will continue to build platforms for exchange, support the further development of TCM in Barcelona and its outreach to a wider region, and help make TCM and acupuncture-moxibustion services accessible to more people in China and abroad. As cooperation mechanisms continue to deepen, Barcelona is expected to become a model hub for the development and dissemination of TCM in Southern Europe.