On 29 November 2024, the first stop outside Beijing of the “Healthy and Happy China Tour” — “TCM Master Lectures” of the Seniors University of China (SUC)was held in Ningbo. Professor Zhang Hongchun, a nationally renowned TCM expert and one of the first batch of Qihuang Scholars, delivered a thematic lecture.

Attendees included Fan Xianrui, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of the Open University of China (OUC, aka SUC); Pu Chuanwen, a specially-appointed expert at the SUC’s School of Proactive Health; Zhang Hui, deputy director of the Bureau of Retired Veteran Cadres of Ningbo Municipal CPC Committee and an inspector (Level-II); and Jiang Shiyong, secretary of the Party Committee of Ningbo Open University (OU). The event was presided over by Guo Wei, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of Ningbo OU.

Fan Xianrui

Fan Xianrui emphasised that since its establishment, the SUC School of Proactive Health has adhered to the school-operational tenet of “Virtue, Learning, Health, Happiness, and Accomplishment” , and has consciously served the construction of the Healthy China Initiative. It has built a proactive health curriculum system and invited authoritative experts to create the first batch of six TCM master classes, giving full play to the “strong-orientation” role of the SUC in proactive health, and striving to replace a hospital bed with a desk in the senior university. The “Healthy and Happy China Tour” — “TCM Master Lectures” tour is a concrete practice of further deeply implementing the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech at the National Conference on Education and responding to the Ministry of Education’s joint action initiative of “Happy Learning and Respecting the Elderly”. In view of the robust and effective senior education efforts at Ningbo Branch, Ningbo was chosen as the first off-site location for this event. The SUC hopes that its branches will stay focused on the theme of senior health, collaborate on shared goals, and foster innovation, striving to create a strong social environment that prioritises the well-being of seniors. By doing so, they aim to contribute to building a ubiquitous and accessible lifelong education system and support the advancement of building a leading country in education.

Jiang Shiyong

Jiang Shiyong stated that the decision to host the first off-site event of the SUC “Healthy and Happy China Tour” — “TCM Master Lectures” tour in Ningbo reflects the SUC’s trust and support towards Ningbo Branch. Since its establishment, the Ningbo Branch has actively worked to build a proactive health brand in senior education through systematic collaboration, university partnerships, digital innovation, intelligent application of scenarios, and learner initiative. Leveraging this lecture tour as an opportunity, the Ningbo Branch aims to collaborate with other branches of the SUC, local universities in Ningbo, and social organisations to advance the cause of proactive health. Our goal is to enrich the lives of every learner and fuel the health journey of lifelong learners.

Pu Chuanwen

Pu Chuanwen introduced the details of the “TCM Master Lectures”. He underscored that proactive health is an important pathway to a happy life. The SUC has developed “TCM Master Lectures” with a high standard and quality based on the concept of “Proactive Health, with TCM in Advance”. The courses are characterised by their focus on “inheriting the essence of traditional Chinese health practices, direct instruction by renowned masters, convenience in understanding, learning, access, and practice — all available in one stop”. The courses aim to guide more senior citizens to understand, use, and benefit from TCM. They are offered on the National Education Platform for the Elderly and are available across multiple channels. Since their launch, the courses have already attracted over 27 million views.

Zhang Hongchun

Zhang Hongchun delivered a thematic lecture titled "Respiratory Health: A Smooth Journey Ahead". Drawing on his extensive clinical experience and several scientific research findings, he used numerous clinical cases to provide a detailed overview of respiratory diseases and health guidance. His lecture covered six key areas: understanding respiratory diseases, the characteristics and advantages of TCM, TCM’s approach to the lungs, diagnostic methods and key points for lung-related TCM treatments, selection of commonly used Chinese patent medicines, and preventive measures for lung diseases. Zhang also recommended effective methods for preventing lung-related conditions, offering professional health guidance and advice to senior citizens.

This lecture tour was hosted by the SUC and organised by its Ningbo Branch. About 400 participants attended the event on-site. It was also broadcast live nationwide through multiple media outlets, attracting over 350,000 online participants.

Contributed by SUC and photo by the SUC Ningbo Branch