HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies

Volume 37 Number 2 Article 18

December 2017

100th Anniversary Celebrations of the Men-Tsee-Khang - , Tibet

Stephan Kloos

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Recommended Citation Kloos, Stephan. 2017. 100th Anniversary Celebrations of the Men-Tsee-Khang - Lhasa, Tibet. HIMALAYA 37(2). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol37/iss2/18

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Acknowledgements The author would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous invitation by Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang to attend this event, and the outstanding treatment he received as a guest there. In particular, he wishes to thank Dr. Tenzin Lhundup for his untiring and kind assistance during his stay in Lhasa. The contents of the Chinese speeches reported here are derived from his notes of the official simultaneous translations provided by the organizers. Despite his best efforts, inaccuracies or misunderstandings are therefore possible, and should in no way be attributed to the speakers themselves. While fully funded by Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang, his attendance at this conference was part of his ongoing European Research Council Starting Grant project RATIMED .

This conference report is available in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol37/iss2/18 100th Anniversary Celebrations of the Men–Tsee–Khang

Lhasa, Tibet

12–13 September 2016

Tibetan medicine, also known as Sowa Rigpa (“the science of healing”), boasts a recorded history of well over 1000 years, and constitutes one of Asia’s great scholarly medical traditions. For centuries, it served a vast swath of Inner Asia and the Himalayas as the only professional, pharmaceutical health resource, providing effective care through a network of monasteries and local lineages of lay doctors. Since at least the late seventeenth century, however, Tibetan medicine’s scholarly center was Lhasa with its elite institutions, the Drophen Ling founded in 1696 and the Men–Tsee–Khang founded in 1916. While the Chagpori institute was destroyed by the Chinese military during the Lhasa uprising in 1959, the Men–Tsee–Khang (“House of Medicine and Astrology”) remains the most important and prestigious institution of Sowa Rigpa today. Its 100th year anniversary in 2016 thus marked an important event in the history of Tibetan medicine, which was taken not only as an occasion for celebration among its practitioners, but also as an opportunity to showcase Tibetan medicine’s development to wider, international audiences.

HIMALAYA Volume 37, Number 2 | 121 In fact, there are two main Tibetan medical practitioners, monastery, and the public, forty–six establishments of the Men–Tsee– experts, and officials from all Tibetan of which are on astrology, the rest on Khang today: the original one in regions of China had been invited to medicine. This will be the first time Lhasa, commonly referred to as the attend the event, which was presided that these texts are published and Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang, and the exile over not only by the Men–Tsee– made accessible to the public. institution in Dharamsala, known in Khang’s top leadership, but also the The third speaker was Lobsang Tibet as the Indian Men–Tsee–Khang. Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Chanzom (Luosang Jiangcun), The Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang today Region (TAR) and a number of other Chairman of TAR, who pointed boasts a new 500–bed hospital and a high officials. The conference was out that the Men–Tsee–Khang has busy outpatient clinic in Lhasa’s old organized into two sections, the made great contributions to the town, together distributing some 200 first with speeches by high medical preservation of ethnic culture, tons of medicines annually to mostly and political representatives, the while also providing services to the Tibetan patients. The Indian Men– second with presentations by people. According to him, Tibetan Tsee–Khang, by contrast, is organized invited Tibetan, Chinese, and medicine is an essential part of as a network of nearly 60 outpatient international experts. traditional Chinese culture, and, clinics across India and Nepal, and Yeshi Yangzom (Yixi Yangzong), thanks to “Tibet’s peaceful liberation affiliate clinics in Russia, Europe and the executive vice–president and democratic reforms,” it is now North America, distributing some 76 (i.e. director) of the Traditional available to all rather than just tons of medicines annually to over Hospital of the TAR opened the aristocrats, as was the case under 600,000 mostly non–Tibetan patients. conference with an overview report feudal serfdom. Today, the Lhasa The Men–Tsee–Khang’s centenary on the development of the Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang has become one celebrations thus took place at two Men–Tsee–Khang over the past of the foremost ethnic hospitals in locations and three different events: 100 years. According to her, the China, and is the largest of thirty in March 2016 in Dharamsala (see Men–Tsee–Khang began as a small Tibetan medical hospitals in the Katarina Sabernig’s report, this issue), institute established by Khyenrab TAR. Over all, Tibetan medicine is and in August (see Barbara Gerke’s Norbu in 1916, which “merged with the most important health provider report, this issue), and September the Chagpori institute during the in the TAR, and China’s 12th Five 2016 in Lhasa. While the August event democratic reforms in 1959.” Since Year Plan allocates over 800 million in Lhasa was more international and then, the Men–Tsee–Khang grew CNY for its development. Lobsang academic, the one in September was dramatically, from a single outpatient Chanzom further pointed out that the institute’s actual celebration as department with no beds to a large Tibetan medicine epitomizes the well as a political event. This report is institution with 21 departments, 392 achievements of the Tibetans and the only concerned with the latter, which professional staff, 500 hospital beds, Chinese Communist Party, and has a I attended upon the invitation of the 340,000 outpatients per year, about huge untapped economic potential. Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang. 18 million CNY annual turnover, and There exists official consensus that The Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang’s over 300 million CNY in fixed assets. it should be supported as a distinct internal celebration took place on 12 The Men–Tsee–Khang’s declared aim industry, in order to protect Tibetan September 2016, at the premises of is to expand throughout China as well culture and promote Tibetan the institute’s historical building and as globally. medicine corporations. courtyard. This was a relaxed all–day Next, Yumba (Yinba), astrologer and Wang Guoqiang, associate director event, with all senior doctors and vice–president of the Men–Tsee–Khang of the National Health and Family staff present, much incense burning, (i.e. deputy director), presented Planning Commission and head of the Khatag giving, and socializing, but a project on collecting historical State Administration of Traditional no official speeches. The official Tibetan medical and astrological Chinese Medicine, argued that “Celebrating Conference for the texts. In 2014, with the consent of Tibetan medicine is developing fast in 100th Anniversary of the Lhasa Men– the TAR Chairman, plans were made comparison to other ethnic medicines Tsee–Khang and First International to acquire old texts from all over in China, but still lags behind in terms Tibetan Medicine Forum” was held Tibet, scan and digitalize them, and of fulfilling existing health needs. the next day, 13 September, at the use them for research. So far, a total Its primary aims should therefore be Intercontinental Lhasa Paradise, a of 130 volumes could be collected to improve its services, strengthen new five–star hotel resort on Lhasa’s from the , Drepung the grassroots level, use modern eastern outskirts. Virtually all senior

122 | HIMALAYA Fall 2017 Figure 1. Internal 100 year anniversary celebrations at old Lhasa Mentsikhang, 12 September 2016.

(Kloos, 2016)

technology and research to develop, Phuntsog Wangmo, originally from dinner and a “Celebration Party for and to achieve UNESCO recognition Lhasa but now head of the Shang Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang—using 100 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage Shung International Institute for years’ inheritance to build up China and Memory of the World for its Tibetan Studies in Massachusetts, Dream.” This was an entertaining future preservation. USA, gave a lengthy introduction song–, dance–, comedy– and of her institute and its activities. multimedia–show prepared and After these four introductory As the final keynote speaker, the performed by Men–Tsee–Khang staff speeches, the keynote speech section author of this report (PI at the as well as professional singers and commenced with a presentation Austrian Academy of Sciences) gave actors. Throughout, the entire 100 by Nyima Tsering (Nima Ciren), an academic overview of Tibetan years’ anniversary celebration and the Dean of the Tibetan Medical medical education outside China, i.e., conference was covered by major College in Lhasa, on innovation and in India, Mongolia, Bhutan and Nepal, Chinese TV channels (CCTV, development in Tibetan medicine. stressing the fact that Sowa Rigpa is Xizang TV, etc.), newspapers, and Then, each of the four international firmly established far beyond Tibet. Internet blogs. keynote speakers presented their papers in English (all other papers After these international speakers, While the August conference in Lhasa were presented in Chinese), with eight Tibetan doctors and researchers was certainly more interesting in simultaneous translation provided presented papers on a variety of terms of international and scholarly via headsets. Saroj P. Dhital and topics, including the sustainable exchange, the September event Udaya Koirala from Nepal each use of Tibetan materia medica, the described here was mainly a political spoke on (bio–)medical issues of standardization of Tibetan medicine, function and an internal celebration. the One belt, One Road trans– external treatment technologies, As such, it was impressively Himalayan cooperation between pulse–purging therapy, cataract organized, showcasing the sheer China and Nepal. Damdinsuren treatment, and purgative therapy magnitude of development—in terms Natsagdorj, head of Manba Datsan for hepatitis. The conference ended of public health infrastructure, Traditional Mongolian Hospital with a Statement of the Lhasa political organization, industry, and and Otoch Manramba University Communiqué. After that, the research—of Tibetan medicine in in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, gave a political leaders and keynote speakers China. A hundred years after the 13th presentation on the history and were given a tour of the Museum Dalai Lama’s attempts at introducing development of traditional medicine of History at the National Clinical modern reforms to Tibet, which in Mongolia, stressing Mongolia’s Research Base of the new Men– included the foundation of the Lhasa unique contributions to Sowa Rigpa. Tsee–Khang hospital, followed by a Men–Tsee–Khang and its subsequent

HIMALAYA Volume 37, Number 2 | 123 steps in the direction of Tibetan public health care, it is clear that this legacy not only lives on, but actually thrives.

Stephan Kloos, ERC Project Leader, RATIMED Institute for Social Anthropology, Austrian Academy of Sciences

The author would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous invitation by Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang to attend this event, and the outstanding treatment he received as a guest there. In particular, he wishes to thank Dr. Tenzin Lhundup for his untiring and kind assistance during his stay in Lhasa. The contents of the Chinese speeches reported here are derived from his notes of the official simultaneous translations provided by the organizers. Despite his best efforts, inaccuracies or misunderstandings are therefore possible, and should in no way be attributed to the speakers themselves. While fully funded by Lhasa Men–Tsee–Khang, his attendance at this conference was part of his ongoing European Research Council Starting Grant project RATIMED .