Hong Kong, situated within the Lingnan region, has long been rooted in the culture of Chinese medicine. Herbal tea, “dit da” (traditional bone‑setting therapy), snake wine and traditional methods of preparing Chinese medicines were inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. Among them, herbal tea was included in 2006 in the first batch of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This slightly bitter‑sweet beverage represents the crystallisation of Lingnan Chinese medicine culture and embodies the Lingnan people’s wisdom of adaption to local conditions and embracing the concept of homology of medicine and food. Given the hot and humid climate of the Lingnan region and the frequent occurrence of epidemic diseases, Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs), through long‑term clinical practice, became adept at using formulas of Chinese medicine with functions such as clearing heat and removing toxin, strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness for disease prevention and treatment. As Hong Kong is geographically part of Lingnan, Chinese medicine has consistently taking on an important position within its healthcare system, making significant contributions to public health.

In the early nineteenth century, following the opening of Hong Kong as a trading port, the Government adopted a policy of non‑intervention towards Chinese medicine. CMPs mostly practised on a self‑employed basis. An 1869 Government Gazette regulation stipulated that ships transporting Chinese labourers overseas were required to carry a quantity of Chinese herbal medicines proportionate to the number of passengers, to be prepared as herbal tea to relieve discomfort among Chinese passengers during the voyage. This provision reflects the recognition of Chinese herbal medicines at that time.

In 1872, Tung Wah Hospital was established as the first Chinese hospital in Hong Kong, providing free Chinese medicine services to the underprivileged.

In August 1989, the Hong Kong Government appointed the Working Party on Chinese Medicine, tasked with reviewing the practice of CMPs in Hong Kong, examining the use of Chinese medicine locally, and advising on the promotion of its proper use and the assurance of professional standards.

In April 1990, the Third Session of the Seventh National People’s Congress adopted the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, in which Article 138 provides that “the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, on its own, formulate policies to develop Western and traditional Chinese medicine and to improve medical and health services. Community organizations and individuals may provide various medical and health services in accordance with law.”

In 1995, the Government established the Preparatory Committee on Chinese Medicine (the Preparatory Committee) to advise on the promotion, development and regulation of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The Preparatory Committee implemented “the Enrolment of Chinese Medicine Practitioners in Hong Kong”, under which nearly 7,000 CMPs were registered. The information collected through this registration exercise provided a framework for the subsequent formulation of statutory registration criteria. In the same year, the Department of Health hosted a World Health Organization Regional Seminars on Traditional Medicine.

In March 1997, the Preparatory Committee submitted a report on the regulatory framework and future development of Chinese medicine. From that point onwards, Chinese medicine in Hong Kong moved towards more structured regulation and more vigorous development, laying a solid foundation for its long-term advancement.

Following the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Government announced in the 1997 Policy Address that a statutory framework would be established to assess and regulate the professional standards of CMPs, to recognise their professional qualifications, and to regulate the use, manufacture and sale of Chinese medicines.

From 1998 onwards, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The University of Hong Kong successively launched undergraduate programmes in Chinese medicine, nurturing local professional talent.

In July 1999, the Legislative Council formally passed the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), laying a sound foundation for the development of Chinese medicine within Hong Kong’s medical and healthcare system.

To align with policy development, from 2003 onwards the HKSAR Government commissioned the Hospital Authority to establish Chinese Medicine Centres for Training and Research across the 18 districts of Hong Kong. These centres, later renamed Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres, promote Chinese medicine services with a focus on teaching and research.

In the 2014 Policy Address, the HKSAR Government announced that a site in Tseung Kwan O had been reserved for setting up Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital. In the 2017 Policy Address, the HKSAR Government further announced that it would finance the construction of the hospital, and would identify by tender a suitable non‑profit‑making organization to manage, operate and maintain the hospital.

On 2 May 2018, the HKSAR Government established the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office to take forward the planning and development of Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital.

Subsequently, in the 2018 Policy Address, the HKSAR Government announced that Chinese medicine would be incorporated into Hong Kong’s healthcare system through the provision of Government‑subsidised Chinese medicine services, including a range of subsidised outpatient and inpatient services at Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital. The Chinese Medicine Development Fund was established to enhance the overall standards of the profession, with objectives including the cultivation of the professional talent required for the hospital.

In May 2024, the Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development of the Health Bureau assumed office, leading the Chinese Medicine Unit, that is the dedicated unit responsible for coordinating and promoting the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong at policy level, in maintaining close liaison with stakeholders in the sector, jointly formulating the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint, refining high‑level policy design, and overseeing policy initiatives relating to Chinese medicine. On 9 October 2024, Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital was officially named The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK), and its official logo was unveiled.

On 11 December 2025, CMHHK was officially commissioned and commenced phased provision of outpatient, day-patient and inpatient services. As Hong Kong’s first hospital to offer predominantly Chinese medicine services,  , it leads local Chinese medicine services to go beyond primary healthcare and play a part in secondary and tertiary healthcare services, representing a major breakthrough in the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong.

As Hong Kong’s flagship institution for Chinese medicine and the teaching hospital for three local universities, CMHHK undertakes five key missions:  healthcare services, training and education, research, collaboration and the creating health values.

CMHHK actively performs its role as a “change driver”, engaging proactively with the Chinese medicine sector and relevant stakeholders to promote the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong and the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area. Leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle of being backed by the Motherland and connected to the world, it will help position Hong Kong as a bridgehead for Chinese medicine to go global and contribute to the overall national strategy for the development of Chinese medicine.