Panagyurishte Mayor Zhelyazko Gagov (2nd L), President of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine Zhu Weifeng (3rd L) and CEO of Uni Hospital Yavor Drenski (2nd R) attend a ribbon cutting to inaugurate the Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the town of Panagyurishte, Pazardzhik Region, Bulgaria, on Oct. 21, 2024. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)

A new Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was inaugurated on Monday in the town of Panagyurishte, Bulgaria, with the goal of enhancing patient care and sharing the rich heritage of ancient Chinese medical practices.

The TCM center, located in Pazardzhik Region, approximately 90 km southeast of Sofia and 75 km northwest of Plovdiv, is a collaborative initiative between China's Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine and Bulgaria's Uni Hospital.

At the opening ceremony, Valentina Kaytazova, Regional Governor of Pazardzhik, emphasized the project's focus on health and well-being, calling it a humanitarian endeavor.

Valentina Kaytazova (1st L), Regional Governor of Pazardzhik, speaks at the newly-inaugurated Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the town of Panagyurishte, Pazardzhik Region, Bulgaria, on Oct. 21, 2024. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)

Panagyurishte Mayor Zhelyazko Gagov expressed pride in his town's historical roots, noting that Panagyurishte is now home to another age-old tradition -- Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Zhu Weifeng, president of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, highlighted the wisdom and experience embedded in TCM, saying that the university's mission is to share TCM's healing benefits with the world. Guan Xin, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, was also in attendance.

Yavor Drenski, CEO of Uni Hospital, expressed confidence in the collaboration, noting that combining TCM expertise with modern Western medicine will improve patient care. "This marks the beginning of a fruitful partnership," Drenski added. ■