Steeped in history, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry is an integral part of Chinese cultural heritage.

This is a traditional Chinese pharmacy and can still be readily seen in Macao. These pharmacies sell various Chinese medicines ranging from affordable to premium items, and some pharmacies even have in-house medical practitioners identify illnesses who by four diagnostic methods: observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, and palpation, then issue prescriptions based on the patients’ condition. The pharmacy will then dispense medicine based on the prescriptions. Some pharmacies can also prepare decoctions for patients by boiling the medicine in a clay pot in the kitchen. During follow-up visits, the practitioners will constantly adjust prescriptions based on patients’ condition until they have fully recovered.