Zhu Zhiyou treats a patient at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Shuangliu District of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 24, 2025.  (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

In his opinion, to learn TCM, one must understand Chinese herbal medicines, and the most direct way of learning is to collect and make specimens of these medicines.

Zhu Zhiyou takes the patient's pulse at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Hongya County, Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

Zhu Zhiyou introduces an animal-derived TCM material he collected at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Hongya County, Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Dong Xiaohong)

Zhu Zhiyou (2nd R) instructs students on how to use medicines at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Shuangliu District of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

Zhu Zhiyou introduces a book on Chinese herbal medicines he published at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Hongya County, Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Dong Xiaohong)

Zhu Zhiyou shows the list of Chinese herbal medicines he recorded at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Hongya County, Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)