In the last instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine, Chloe Loung experiences the patient journey at Hong Kong’s new Chinese medicine hospital, where Western doctors and TCM practitioners work side by side to streamline holistic healthcare.

There are no receptionists barking ticket numbers in chaotic waiting rooms at the new Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong. In fact, stepping into the complex’s sunlit atrium, you can barely hear a footstep.

Hong Kong’s healthcare system has historically kept Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) separate. For generations, accessing TCM in the city meant navigating a plethora of non-standardised clinics, and sometimes a language barrier.

The new hospital, in Hong Kong’s Tseung Kwan O neighbourhood, aims to change this. Designed as a patient-first hybrid model, it offers traditional treatments – such as acupuncture and herbal remedies – and Western medicine under one roof. But what does the experience actually feel like for an everyday patient walking through the door?

The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong opened in the city’s Tseung Kwan O neighbourhood in December 2025. Photo: Sam Tsang

To find out, I book a general outpatient appointment to walk through the system step by step.

The hospital’s most striking difference from a typical neighbourhood TCM clinic is its seamless accessibility. Booking via the hospital’s dedicated app links directly to the iAM Smart identity profile, with English-language options available at every step.

I arrive 15 minutes early for my appointment as instructed, and immediately notice how serene the place is. Tall glass windows allow natural light to flood the wide corridors, which are free of queues.