The College of CM Culture and Classics of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) was established in January 2014 as the first institute of its kind among higher education institutions of Chinese medicine (CM) in China. The college’s mission is to inherit and promote CM culture and traditional Chinese culture, highlighting its unique strengths and distinctive features as compared with other similar institutions.

Currently, the disciplines under the college — CM Culture, Classical Medical Texts and Classical Chinese — are recognized as key disciplines by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Its CM Humanities is rated as a key discipline in Beijing. Provincial- and ministerial-level bases affiliated with the college include the Beijing CM Culture Research Base (Beijing Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science) and the BUCM Taiwan CM Research Base (Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council). University-level research institutes under the college are the Cross-Strait CM Exchange and Cooperation Research Institute and the Institute of I Ching Studies and Confucian-Buddhist-Taoist Medicine.

The college is composed of several teaching and research units, including the Office of CM Culture, the Office of Classical Medical Texts, the Office of Chinese Classics and College Chinese, the Office of Chinese Classics Education and Communication and the Office of Aesthetic Education. 

The college is dedicated to the study of traditional Chinese culture with a distinctive focus on CM culture. Its major research areas include Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in relation to CM; I Ching and CM; classical CM texts and Chinese language and culture; as well as CM philosophy and Chinese civilization. 

By integrating expert resources from home and abroad, the college has established high-level research platforms, promoted collaborative innovation with relevant institutions and jointly undertaken major research projects, maintaining a leading position in the study of CM culture and traditional Chinese culture both domestically and internationally.

It offers general education courses in Chinese classics across the university and strengthens the teaching of courses such as Chinese Philosophy, CM Philosophy, Classical Medical Texts, Introduction to Traditional Chinese Culture and Selected Readings in Chinese Classics. It also explores models for Chinese classics education tailored to students of different levels and disciplines.

The college actively promotes public education of CM culture and traditional Chinese culture, aiming to expand their social influence. It organizes lectures and forums on CM and Chinese classics, as well as training programs on CM culture and health preservation, and explores cross-media innovation by leveraging multimedia and new media technologies. 

The college is also committed to the international communication of CM culture and traditional Chinese culture. It actively participates in the development of the CM Culture Base for Chinese Language Promotion under the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (formerly Hanban) and carries out programs on international CM culture and CM-related Chinese language education. These efforts are designed to enhance the global influence of CM culture and strengthen China’s cultural soft power.