ABSTRACT

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has served as a major medical practice in China for thousands of years. Previous research of TCM discourses has mainly focused on the aspects of medicine of the TCM practice. The present study examines the discursive construction of TCM in China’s national media. Using a corpus-based approach, this study investigates the cultural implications of TCM in modern China. Data is selected from six Chinese media outlets, comprising People’s Daily, Guangming Daily, China Daily, Global Times, Xinhua News Agency and Xinhua Net. Key word, collocate, N-gram, and concordance analyses are performed to look into the discursive construction of TCM’s cultural values and how it relates with modern western medicine (MWM). The results show that TCM is constructed by the national media as more than a medical entity. It is a significant part of the Chinese culture with its unique status and values which are defined and backgrounded by the overall Chinese civilization. Its relationship with MWM is constructed as a collaborative partnership rather than exclusive competition. This study makes a contribution to healthcare discourse studies, especially in this crucial time of the Covid-19 healthcare crisis.