Collectors donate rare cultural relics to Overseas Chinese Museum in Beijing

Renowned Chinese American collector Pedro Chan made a significant donation of 400 cultural relics related to the development of traditional Chinese medicine in the United States to the Overseas Chinese Museum of China in Beijing.

The donated artifacts, which include medicine bottles used by Chinese immigrants during the 19th century Gold Rush, as well as related certificates, posters, newspapers, and other materials, offer a unique insight into the history of TCM in the US. One notable relic is an English advertisement from the 1850s, showcasing the early presence of TCM in California.

Chan, who hails from a family of TCM practitioners in Macao and has long been an advocate for promoting TCM culture overseas, emphasized the impact of TCM on local communities, citing the existence of over 8,000 acupuncture clinics across the US.

"These collections bear witness to how traditional Chinese medicine has benefited local communities and reflect the hard work of Chinese immigrants overseas, as well as the mutual learning among different cultures," Chan said.

This isn't Chan's first contribution to Chinese museums. In 2014, shortly after the opening of the Overseas Chinese Museum of China, he generously donated 370 relics, shedding light on the history of Chinatowns in the US and the legacy of the Flying Tiger fighters during World War II.

Ning Yi, deputy director of the museum, commended Chan's recent donation, noting that it systematically reflects the history of TCM in the US and fills a significant gap in the museum's collection.

In a separate donation on the same day, Tom Alfonso Chan, another Chinese American collector based in California, presented his personal collections of stamps and commemorative coins featuring Chinese American celebrities to the museum.

Since its inception in 2014 with an initial collection of about 10,000 relics, the museum has experienced substantial growth, with the number of artifacts now exceeding 60,000, thanks to donations from collectors both domestically and internationally.