ABSTRACT
The term ‘minority medicine’ refers to the medicines of all other so-called nationalities, except for the majority Han Chinese medicine, zhongyi 中医, which is by default the national medicine. This chapter provides a review of state policy towards minority medicine since 1949, which policies have been pivotal in developing and institutionalising minority medicine. On the one hand, local medical practices were brought under state administration with official recognition and legal support, and on the other hand, campaigns against superstition and religion also greatly discouraged the development of traditional medicines across the country. In general, this policy review makes it clear that the Chinese state-led project to fajue zhengli 发掘整理 (salvage and sort) minority medicine is a battleground for the truth that has much to teach us about how culture and authoritative knowledge grow, change, and disappear.
