The Contemporary Landscape, Core Challenges, and Optimization Paths of the International Communication of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Empowered by Digital Media

Cultural Communication

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) culture is an important component of fine traditional Chinese culture and a vital cultural resource through which China participates in global health governance and promotes mutual learning among civilizations. In recent years, with the deepening advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, the growing prominence of global health issues, and the rapid development of digital media technologies, the international communication of TCM culture has encountered new historical opportunities. A review of relevant studies published between 2015 and 2026 shows that research on the international communication of TCM culture has gradually shifted from macro-level advocacy-oriented discussions to more operational topics such as platform-based communication, cross-cultural adaptation, localized practice, audience identification, and communication mechanisms. At the same time, existing communication practices and studies still face a series of practical problems, including insufficient cultural interpretation, a mismatch between content supply and audience demand, the need to further improve the effectiveness of digital communication, inadequate localization and institutional adaptability, and a shortage of interdisciplinary professionals. On the basis of synthesizing existing literature, this article systematically examines the major characteristics and practical dilemmas of the international communication of TCM culture, and proposes optimization paths from the perspectives of content construction, media innovation, relationship formation, local collaboration, and institutional support, with a view to providing references for the high-quality development of the international communication of TCM culture.

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