On 13 October 2021, China-ASEAN International Forum on Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism was held in Bama County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Mr. Zhang Xu, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, Mr. Li Bin, Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr. Huang Luqi, Deputy Head of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine，Mr. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health of Lao PDR, and Dr. Sopan Mekthon, Vice Minister of Public Health of Thailand addressed the opening session. A large variety of delegates from Cultural, tourism and medical entities and foreign diplomatic missions in China attended the Forum. Mrs. Li Yaying, Deputy Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) exchanged views with other delegates on traditional medicine and health tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China.  

Jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, and the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and supported by ACC, the forum focused on the latest development trend of traditional medicine and tourism industry in the context of regular prevention and control against the COVID-19 pandemic. During the following session of panel discussion, experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine and other relevant institutes shared their insights on integrated development of traditional medicine and health tourism and put forward suggestions on quality development of health tourism.