"Hello, my name is Elena. Hi, my name is Sebastian. Hello, my name is Mau. We're cousins and we come from Mexico."

The trio are students at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Mauricio, the eldest, was the first to start the journey back in 2017.

MAURICIO DIAZ GUTIERREZ Mexican Student in China "I came for the first year just to see, if I liked it, then I was gonna continue. And if I didn't like it, I would just go back. And it's been seven years and I'm still here."

Inspired by Mauricio, Sebastian and Elena decided to follow in his footsteps. Bur for three young people travelling over 12,000 kilometers from home, mastering a therapy with thousands of years of history comes with unique challenges – beyond just the language barrier.

MAURICIO DIAZ GUTIERREZ Mexican Student in China "There are so many herbs. For me, to memorize the name is the hardest part."

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ GUTIERREZ Mexican Student in China "The theory of TCM about the Yin and Yang and the five elements and everything, it was very weird to me in the first year."

ELENA GUTIERREZ GONZALEZ Mexican Student in China "It's really hard for me to feel a person's pulse and being able to say, like, 'I think your pulse is superficial,' or 'your pulse is deep.' I find it really hard, and I keep practicing."

Being together as not just family, but also learning partners, they help each other on academic or clinical challenges. And they've gained a deeper understanding of the medicine.

ELENA GUTIERREZ GONZALEZ Mexican Student in China "I think the way of thinking of TCM is not only thinking about the sickness, but also like your everyday life, like how your habits can affect the way your body is, your health."

Now in clinical practice, the trio says the hands-on experience has been invaluable.

Reporter: "What are the keys to do tuina?"

Mauricio: "First, you have to keep a stable rhythm, also keep a continuous strength. And also, constantly ask the patient how it feels."

The three cousins also share a unified vision for the future.

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ GUTIERREZ Mexican Student in China "We want to open a clinic in Mexico and focus on different diseases."

ELENA GUTIERREZ GONZALEZ Mexican Student in China "I really want to connect TCM with Mexican culture. Because in Mexico, we also have a lot of traditional medicines. I want to integrate both and respect both of our cultures and being able to help people."

MAURICIO DIAZ GUTIERREZ Mexican Student in China "We hope that one day we can achieve this goal. There's a bright future for TCM between us and in my country."

For them, learning Traditional Chinese Medicine is not just about healing, it's also about fostering a deeper connection between two cultures. YJH, CGTN, Shanghai.