​The permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) under the Department of Health (DH) will commence phased operations tomorrow (December 11). Equipped with advanced technology and equipment, the new premises will enhance the ability to develop Chinese medicines (CM) testing methods and standard development capabilities, supporting the comprehensive and high-quality development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The Chinese Medicines Herbarium, which opens in the first phase, showcases approximately 3 500 CM specimens, including a number of precious specimens gifted to Hong Kong by the national authorities. Together with the outdoor medicinal plant garden, the Shennong Herbal Garden, these facilities will be available for group reservations for free guided tours starting tomorrow.
      
     The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said, "Established in 2017, the GCMTI under the DH is dedicated to establishing internationally recognised reference standards for CM and their testing methods. Through technology transfer, the GCMTI shares its achievements to assist the industry in adopting advanced technologies to enhance CM product quality and strengthen quality control in production. The opening of the permanent premises will allow for more efficient use of resources. This will further promote the enhancement of CM quality in Hong Kong, strengthen local and international co-operation and exchange, and promote high-quality development of Chinese medicine to go global."
      
     The permanent premises of the GCMTI are located at 3 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, adjacent to The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, representing two flagship institutions for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The new building features the following four key components:

1. State-of-the-art laboratories
Equipped with four specialties of advanced laboratories and over 3 300 pieces of laboratory equipment and information technology equipment, the laboratories will utilise cutting-edge technology to support the development of innovative, faster, more accurate, and highly versatile testing methods for CM.
      
2. International Collaboration and Training Centre
Featuring multidisciplinary training and technology transfer laboratories, the new premises are designed to strengthen exchange and collaboration with relevant Mainland and international organisations in the field of CM testing technologies. It also serves as a training base for DH to support its role as the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine.
      
3. Chinese Medicines Herbarium and Laboratories (CMHL)
The CMHL will exhibit about 3 500 specimens. Among them are over 300 representative and precious specimens from various regions, gifted by the National Medical Products Administration. These include giant wild Astragali Radix and Cistanches Herba. Through the systematic display of these specimens, visitors will be able to understand the complete lifecycle of CM, from source plants and Chinese medicinal materials to decoction pieces ready for clinical applications and proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm), thereby enhancing public knowledge of and interest in CM. The CMHL has a special design that allows visitors to observe the work inside the laboratories. Schools and groups interested in visiting may make reservations via email at gcmti@dh.gov.hk starting from tomorrow.
      
4. Shennong Herbal Garden
Covering approximately 700 square metres, this medicinal plant garden showcases around 180 species of medicinal plants, with a storyline on Lingnan region's "Local Herbal Tea" and "Seasonal Soup". It aims to promote Chinese medicine culture and knowledge while actively advocating healthy lifestyles. Currently, the Shennong Herbal Garden is only open for school and group reservations (same reservation method as above), with public access to be announced later.
      
     One of the GCMTI's key accomplishments is the implementation of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, covering reference standards for over 340 Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) to date. Supported by the GCMTI's Advisory Committee, the GCMTI has also completed dozens of thematic projects that utilise cutting-edge technologies, including the development of versatile testing methods for chemical markers in pCm, micro-morphological identifications of CM, and the establishment of a three-dimensional (3D) image database for traceable medicinal materials through photogrammetry. The phased commissioning of the new building's facilities marks a comprehensive upgrade of the DH in CM testing, standard setting and technology transfer.
      
     Dr Lam added, "With the new premises, our multidisciplinary team of experts will continue to actively promote the inheritance and innovative development of Chinese medicine, deepening its integration into the national development strategy in Chinese medicine and fostering the comprehensive, high-quality development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. This new facility will not only serve as a hub for CM testing and standard setting but will also bear the important responsibility of disseminating Chinese medicine culture. Through the CM specimens, the Shennong Herbal Garden and professional guided tours, we will bridge the gap between the public and Chinese medicine."
      
     Specimens of the GCMTI and its global-first 3D CMM images can be viewed at the Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines (www.cmherbarium.gov.hk).

Ends/Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:05

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