The China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM), set up in 1955 and located in Beijing (its former name was Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine), is a national institute for research, clinical medicine and medical training and education in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) under the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The president of the Academy is Prof.Cao Hongxin.
At present, the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM) is a TCM organization with largest scope, variety of disciplines, advanced equipment, and solid scientific research strength. In the Academy, there are 13 institutes, 6 hospitals, as well as the School of postgraduate, the Publishing House of Ancient Chinese Medical Books, and the Editorial Broad of the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are a total of over 4,000 staff members, including 3,200 professional in various fields, 800 of them with senior professional title. In addition, WHO Collaborating Centers for Traditional Medicine in the fields of clinical medicine and information, acupuncture, and Chinese material medical have been set up by the cooperation between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Academy. Moreover, the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), China Association of Integration of Traditional and Western Medicine as well as China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion are also located in the Academy.
The leading mission of the Academy is to carry out medical research on traditional Chinese medicine. During the past 50 years, the great achievements have already been seen in the aspects of TCM basic theories, the prevention and treatment for the main diseases, and the research and development for new herbal medicines. By the end of 2004, nearly 900 research results have been obtained, among which, 300 projects won the national, ministerial and bureau awards. Concurrently, there are 482 ongoing research projects above the Academy level, including 200 projects supported by the national funds and 258 by the ministry and bureau. Besides, the National Clinical Trial Center for New Herbal Medicines (GCP), the National Standardization Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Pharmacology, the China Center fir Trational Chinese Medical Literature Retrieval and P3 Laboratory, the National Centers for Evalution on Safety of Herbal Medicines (GLP) and the National Development Research Center for Herbal Compound Medicine are all located in the Academy.
The high quality health services are provided by the Academy with the obvious TCM advantages and characteristics. There are more than 1,500 beds in the Academy hospitals. Among those affiliated hospitals, both Xi Yuan Hospital and Guang An Men Hospital, which are in the category of the national highest-level hospitals, are the National Model TCM Hospitals; Wang Jing Hospital is a general hospital with specialty of orthopedics and traumatology, and the Ophthalmologic Hospital, a special hospital in TCM ophthalmology. These

At present, the total staff number of CATCM is 3824, of which 3188 are professionals and technicians, and 852 of them with high academic or technical titles. The total floor space in the whole academy is 335,000m 2 , covering an area of 308,000m 2 . Throughout the country, CATCM is the largest research institution on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), characterized with the biggest scope, a complete range of disciplines, advanced equipment and abundant research strength. It deserves a high academic position among the circles of traditional medicines and exerts important influence in the world.?

General Introduction
China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM), inaugurated on December 19, 1955, is the largest and most important national center for research, health care and teaching in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at the present time.
The Academy consists of the following institutions: Xi Yuan Hospital (1st Institute of Clinical Medicine. The Institute of Medical Literature, the Institute of Information on Traditional Chinese China. At present, the total staffs of the Academy are over 4, 300, of which more than 3,000 are scientific researchers. There are over 790 professors, associate professors of persons with equivalent qualification, with a complete range of departments now at the Academy. Approved by the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council, the Academy has been authorized conferring master's degree in 17 specialists, and conferring doctor's degree in 11 specialists. Up to now, 592 graduates with master's degree and 48 with doctor's degree have been trained.
Splendid achievements have been obtained in developing TCM over the last 40 years since the founding of the Academy. So far 612 research projects have been completed, among which Qinghaosu (Artemisinin) has been awarded the National Invention Prize, and 7 projects won the National Scientific Progress Prize. In addition, 13 TCM specialists of the Academy have been awarded diplomas of "Albert Einstein World Award of Science" by World Cultural Council for their remarkable achievements in scientific research.
The Academy serves as an important garden plot for academic and information exchanges in TCM, academic publications for both domestic and overseas distributions are as follows: The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, and Chinese Journal of Medical History.
In cooperation with the World Health Organization, the Academy has established 3 collaborating centers for traditional medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, and Chinese materia medica in recent years. Specialists and scholars of the Academy have been constantly sent abroad for lectures, advanced studies and attending international academic conferences. At the same time, medical experts from more than 100 countries and regions have been invited to the academy for visits and lectures.
Fruitful Scientific Achievements
Scientific research is the major task of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. During the past forty years since the founding of the academy, splendid achievements have been obtained through the unity and the concerted efforts of all members of the academy in various fields of traditional Chinese medicine, such as basic theory, Chinese materia medica, all clinical branches, acupuncture and moxibustion, acupuncture anesthesia, meridian theory, history of medicine and medical literature, medical information and library science. Encouraging advances have been attained in the studies of treatment and prevention of many major refractory diseases through cooperative research during the 7th and the 8th Five Year Plan periods.
The academy consists of 8 institutes and 3 hospitals for clinical studies. Besides, there are 3 key laboratories of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the academy, namely China Center for Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Retrieval, P3 Laboratory, and Meridian Laboratory. Currently, the academy undertakes the State Climbing Program "Research on Meridians" and 22 projects of the National Key R&D Program as well as 200 research projects above academy level.
By the end of June, 1995, the academy had totally obtained 612 scientific achievements on TCM. The invention of new anti-malaria drug arteannuin was awarded National Invention Prize, the study on dihydroarteannuin was awarded National Top Ten Scientific and Technological Achievements Prize, 7 projects were awarded National Scientific Progress Prize, and 137 were awarded Scientific Progress Prize of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Two professors of the academy were elected respectively academician of China Academy of Science and academician of China Academy of Engineering. In view of the distinguished contributions made by the TCM scientists, World Cultural Council has awarded 13 specialists of the academy diplomas of "Albert Einstein World Award of Science" for their remarkable achievements in the research work of TCM.
In order to promote the integration of scientific research and economy and speed up the transformation of scientific achievements the academy developed a market especially for scientific and technological achievement. Since 1992, the academy has sponsored successively 3 supply and demand fairs for scientific and technological achievements and set up cooperative relations with 30 factories, all of which represent the progress of the academy in combining the TCM scientific and technological research with economic construction.

Vigorous Development of Clinical Work
China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, after developing for 40 years, processes the following 9 medical institutes, namely Xi Yuan Hospital, Guang An Men Hospital, the Hospital of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the Hospital of Ophthalmology, Great Wall Hospital, the Clinic of the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the Clinic of the Institute of Basic Theory of TCM, the Clinic of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospital of the Beijing College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Orthopedics -Traumatology. There are totally 1351 ward beds and the number of outpatients totals more than one million annually.
In the early stage of the academy, a lot of veteran TCM doctors were invited to the academy from all over the country and they made great contributions to the academy's construction and development. At present, all the component units of the academy are comprehensive TCM clinical institutions combining clinical work, scientific research and medical teaching as a whole. Among them, Xi Yuan Hospital and Guang An Men Hospital are not only National First Grade of Third Class TCM Hospitals and National Model TCM Hospitals, but also national bases of clinical research on pharmacology of Chinese herbs and constituent part of WHO collaborating center for traditional medicine. The institutions of the academy are comprised of the clinical departments of internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, acupuncture and moxibustion, anoprotology, dermatology, oncology, urology, orthopedics and traumatology, Tuina (massage), ophthalmology, ENT, stomatology, Qigong and critical medicine. Moreover, the Orthopedics-Traumatology Hospital, the Hematology Department and Gerontology Department of Xi Yuan Hospital, and the Oncology Department of Guang An Men Hospital have been designated as the key constructive units of national specialized TCM centers. In these hospitals, under the supervision of well-known veteran TCM doctors, clinics for treatment of special diseases have been set up. The academy is equipped with lots of large -scale sophisticated medical devices, such as Computerized Tomography (CT), Ultrasound Colour Doppler Flow Imaging System, Hemodialysis Center, and Flow Cytomatry System, etc.
The medical works of the academy, with their own special features, by employing TCM therapy supplemented by modern diagnostic and therapeutic measures, have achieved remarkable results in the treatment of intractable diseases, and thus, they have own a good reputation at home and abroad. Lots of patients from many countries and regions have come to the academy for treatment. The clinical work of the academy has not only relieved thousands of patients from torments and sufferings of diseases, but also laid a solid foundation for its further scientific research.
Successful Education Bringing up Galaxies of TCM Talents
China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine has always given first priority of education and cultivation of talents. Since its founding, the academy has made every effort to establish a multi-level education system.
In the sphere of in-service continuing education, approved by the Ministry of Public Health, National TCM Training Course for Western Medicine Doctors, International Acupuncture Training Center, Chinese Medical History Training Course and Chinese Medical Literature Training Course have been established and have cultivated a large number of professional staff. In sphere of formal medical education, an education system of three levels, i.e., secondary school, undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses, has been established. The Health School, founded in 1980, has trained, 1200 primary health workers in nursing and medical technology. The Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology was set up in 1984. It got the right to hand out bachelor's degrees in 1991; more than 300 university-level students have graduated. The Department of TCM Postgraduates was founded in 1978 and set to enroll postgraduates for master's degree in 17 professions. Up to July, 1995, the academy had enrolled 592 postgraduates; 534 had graduated and 530 had won master's degree. Postgraduates for doctorate in 10 professions have been enrolled since 1984. Up to July, 1995, the academy has enrolled 81 candidates for doctorate; 48 had graduated and 48 had won doctorate. Since 1993, the postgraduate education has been involved in the exchange programs with Hong Kong, Taiwan and some foreign countries. Now, there are 14 overseas postgraduates and 2 postgraduates from Taiwan. For cultivating high-level young talents of science and technology, approved by the State, the academy has established a post- doctorate mobile station. Besides in-service continuing education and formal medical education, for inheriting the experiences of the well- known veteran TCM doctors, the academy has adopted an apprenticeship system of education and cultivated 20 inheritors.
By adopting various types of education, the academy has cultivated a large number of medical staff, who are striving for rejuvenation of the cause of TCM on their respective working posts.

International Exchange
In the 40 years since the founding of the academy, especially since the adopting of opening-up policy, the international exchange activities of the academy have increased day by day. The depth of the international exchange have been unceasingly deepened and the scope enlarged.
With the increasing growth of the influence of the academy in international traditional medicine circles, more and more physicians, scholars, as well as national leaders and government officials have come from abroad to visit the academy and to take part in the TCM academic exchange activities of various kinds. A large number of overseas patients have come to the academy to seek medical treatment. The number of guests visiting the academy and receiving treatment amounts to more than 3,000 each yea. At the same time, in the past few years, the scientific personal and medical workers have often been invited to go abroad, attending international academic conferences of symposiums, and conducting exchange activities in different fields of TCM. The number of them averages 200 each year. In addition, the academy has trained 4,000 acupuncturists and orthopedists for 100 countries. To date, the academy has established academic relations and cooperations with the major scientific research institutions, colleges and universities, as well as TCM research institutions in more than 20 countries. Medical care and scientific research centers have been set up in succesion in more than 10 countries and regions, including Japan, Britain, Spain, Malaysia, Tailand, Tanzania and so on.
Books, Periodicals
The library of China Academy of TCM is the largest TCM library in China. It has a collection of more than 300, 000 volumes of TCM books and periodicals, among which 60,000 volumes are ancient medical books, including precious, rare and unique editions.
Compilation and publication of academic journals, monographs on TCM occupy an important position in the tasks of the academy. There are more than 15 periodicals on TCM openly published nationwide and abroad, including comprehensive academic periodicals such as Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, and specialized academic periodicals such as China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibusion, Acupuncture Research, China Journal of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Chinese Journal of Medical History, Chinese Journal of Information on TCM, Foreign Medical Sciences-TCM Section, Chinese Journal of Basic Theory on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Abstracts of Chinese Medical Sciences-TCM Section, etc. . All these periodical reflect the current progress and achievements in the systematization, exploration, and research of TCM with modern scientific methods, and attract the attentions of the medical circles and the readers at home and abroad.
To save the valuable ancient medical books from being extinct, the Publishing House of Ancient Chinese Medical Books has actively sorted out and published more than 500 kinds of precious, rare and unique ancient medical books, making a great contribution to the flourishing and dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine.