The Chinese people knew how to cure the sickness and protect their health by medical science and drugs long ago. Currently, traditional Chinese medical science and medicine has been spread to many places all over the world.

Legend has it that Shennongshi of ancient times once tasts over hundreds herbs in person to distinguish herbal plants. China's earliest existing medical book the Canon of Medicine of the Yellow Emperor, systematically summarized medical experience before the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, laying a theoretical foundation for traditional Chinese medical science. The famous doctor of the Warring States Period, Bian Que, was the first to use olfaction, interrogation, and palpation for diagnosis. Observation is to observe the patients' appearance and mental state; auscultation and olfaction are to listen to the patients' breathing; interrogation is to inquire about the problem and the patients' own feeling, diet and daily life; and palpation is to feel the pulse of the patient.

Traditional Chinse medicine mainly comes from plants, and also some animals and minerals. There are made into oral or external medicine after being specially prepared. The famous medical book of Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) Shenong's Materia Medical recorded 365 herbs. Ther well-known doctor Tao Hongjing of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420 - 589) added another 365 herbal records and wrote Variorum of Shennong's Materia Medical. The Compendium of Materia Medical, written by the famous doctor Li Shizhen of Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), was finished in 1578 AD. The book is composed of 52 volumes, including nearly 1,892 medicines (Li's newly-added medicines was 374), 1,109 pictures of medicine and 11,096 prescriptions - which 8,000 were collected and set by Li. Such a masterpiece can be considered as one of the representative works of Chinese medical science.

There are numerous famous doctors in Chinese history, such as Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Sun simiao, Li Shizhen, who relieved patients of pain with their consumate medical skills. In modern China, there are also many famous doctors who try hard to resolve serious difficulties and work for the well-being of the people. The medical science of China ethnic minority groups, with distinctive features, have also contributed much, including that of the Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur and Dai groups.