Traditional Chinese medicine shops revamp service for modern era

Traditional Chinese medicine shops revamp service for modern era

2026-05-07

Traditional Chinese medicine shops are quickly disappearing. Once numbering between 20 and 30,000 in their heyday, there are now only a few more than 7,000 left. Facing extinction, some practitioners of this old profession are steering their businesses in new directions. After taking over the family business, some young entrepreneurs are focusing on revamping their storefronts and packaging. Others are putting a bold new spin on TCM by incorporating the ingredients into desserts, introducing ancient medical wisdom to new generations.

Rather than dispensing traditional Chinese medicine, the wooden counter in this Taipei shop is used for serving afternoon tea. A generous heaping of cordyceps tops off this steaming hot latte.

This cake has goji berries, challenging people’s perception of Chinese herbs as bitter and astringent. Or take this Belgian chocolate tart, where osmanthus and smoked plum sauce intertwine to create a sweet and tangy flavor.

Wang Hsin-ying
Herbal dessert chef
Smoked plum and chocolate are both very sharp flavors. Aside from smoked plum, I add things like roselle, osmanthus, hawthorn, or other medicinal herbs to strike a balance.

Owner Wang Sen-pin has been running this TCM shop for 39 years. Now, one small corner has transformed into a bakery. Five years ago, 35-year-old Wang Hsin-ying returned home to join the family business. Guided by the concept that food and medicine share the same origin, she incorporates Chinese medicinal herbs into Western desserts.

Wang Hsin-ying
Herbal dessert chef
I like to eat and make desserts. So I thought I’d try out combining medicinal herbs with desserts.

At another store, some customers come in asking to buy a gift box. Chou Tung-yen doesn’t hesitate to recommend this exquisitely packaged box. At 40 years old, Chou is the fourth-generation owner of this 108-year-old TCM shop in Yilan. When he took over 15 years ago, he decided to make some changes.

Chou Tung-yen
TCM shop owner
I want young people to feel that going to get products with traditional Chinese medicine is a source of pride. Using medicinal herbs is no longer considered commonplace.

From selling through the community and online, to designing a distinctive website, Chou approaches every step with precision. Before graduating, he tried his hand at becoming a rapper. After college he switched to the fashion industry. But he said he never imagined he’d come home to take over the family business.

Chou Tung-yen
TCM shop owner
Modern times aren’t like before. People used to visit TCM shops to treat illness. Now they’re places for wellness.

Chou gradually renovated the shop’s lighting, decor, and display arrangements, while taking pains to preserve classic elements like the wooden sign and rows of herb jars. The key to enabling ancient wisdom to coexist with modern sensibilities may just lie with this crop of talented young entrepreneurs.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#traditionalChinesemedicine #TCM #medicine #entrepreneur #Chineseherbs #afternoontea #creative #wellness #familybusiness #medicine

"我把中藥房變新潮" 古老產業轉型"新包裝"

2026-05-07

傳統的中藥房已快速凋零，從全盛時期多達兩三萬家，如今中藥房家數僅剩七千多家，這門古老產業，正面臨存亡危機，「創新轉型」成了一條新的道路，有一些年輕世代在接班後，重視打造店面和產品包裝，也有經營者，把中藥和甜點大膽結合，讓新一代也能認識這個千年智慧。

台北這一間中藥行，傳統的木頭藥櫃變身為下午茶餐桌，熱騰騰的拿鐵，灑滿「黃金蟲草」。

枸杞被拿來做成蛋糕，顛覆許多人，對中藥又苦又澀的刻板印象，或是比利時巧克力塔，與桂花烏梅醬交織甜中帶酸。

[[漢方甜點創辦人王心盈]]
“烏梅跟巧克力，兩者的味道都太尖銳了，我除了烏梅以外呢，還加入了像是洛神花，桂花，還有像仙渣等等的藥材，變成複方去調和”

老闆王森彬經營這間中藥行39年，現在店裡一小角，被打造成烘焙區，35歲的王心盈，五年前回家接班，他以「藥食同源」為概念，將漢方中藥融入西式甜點。

[[漢方甜點創辦人王心盈]]
“我本身是喜歡吃甜點，跟做甜點的，我就想說那來試著把中藥跟甜點兩者做結合吧”

客人一上門就直呼，要來買禮物，周東彥立刻推薦架上精美的禮盒、包裝。40歲的他，是宜蘭在地有108年歷史的中藥房第四代，十五前他接手家業時，就決定轉型。

[[中藥房第四代老闆周東彥]]
“讓年輕人更覺得，我拿起我們的漢方商品，是很有光榮感的，我用這個中藥產品，已經不是很俗的事情了”

從社群經營、網路行銷，到設計出有自家格調的官網，每一步都煞費苦心，周東彥畢業前，還曾踏入演藝圈玩饒舌，畢業後又轉戰潮流服飾業，他笑說怎麼都沒想過會回家接班。

[[中藥房第四代老闆周東彥]]
“現代社會，不像以前，中藥房是治療的地方，現在中藥房是養生的地方”

從燈光、裝潢到陳列逐步翻新，也刻意保留匾額與百草櫃等老物件，古老智慧如何與新世代並存，答案或許在一群年輕人身上。

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The outer skin of these gua bao are deep-fried until they are a caramel color, then they are stuffed with a variety of fillings. The crispy savory textures of these fried gua bao have caused many people to become regular customers after just one taste.

Crispy, golden-brown fried pork ribs are also incredibly popular. The secret to their deliciousness is that the owner first rubs the meat with a secret sauce and marinates it, before frying it.

- Do you prefer regular night markets or pop-ups?
- Pop-ups
- Why?
- They’re more unique.

Located in Dongshan, Qinggou Night Market is lined with food stalls on both sides of the road, all run by mobile vendors. Yilan is known for its delicious food, and now, from Monday to Sunday, there’s a different night market every day. This woman is the driving force behind the booming night market scene.

Each corner is carefully inspected and the ground needs to be scrubbed. All vendors are required to take their kitchen waste with them. Lin Mei-li, 68, started out by selling hair accessories at Yilan’s Dongmen Night Market. To expand her base of customers, she went from having a small stall to being a night market promoter.

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Back then, mobile night markets weren’t very popular, but we thought it was better to go find the customers rather than wait for them to come to us. Before, it wasn’t on such a large scale. There used to be dozens of stalls, now there are over one hundred.

With great power comes great responsibility. When Lin turns on her phone, all her contacts are related to night markets.

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Without management, things will definitely fall into chaos. The staff help her but she must have a very tough time. Nobody wants to do these things because you’ll get scolded for them. Every decision she makes will affect someone else.

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