Speech by Yan Tianlu, Executive Vice President of Malaysia-China Public Relations Association

At the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 “MinTai · Nanyang Herbal Medicine” Cultural Promotion Week

Speech delivered by Yan Tianlu at the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 MinTai & Nanyang Herbal Medicine Cultural Promotion Week. (Photo by Meng Jiangbo)

Respected Mr. Chen Geng, President Zhang Lifeng, Chairman Cheng Shuiran, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends:

Good morning, everyone!

First of all, on behalf of the Minnan Academy (Malacca), together with the Working Committee of Malacca Historic City (Jonker Street) and Zheng He · Duoyunxuan Art Gallery (Malacca), I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Chen, President Zhang, Chairman Cheng and all distinguished guests for your visit to Malacca, Malaysia. I pay high tribute to all sectors of society who care for and support the Minnan Academy (Malacca). I also warmly congratulate the successful launch of the 2026 “Minnan-Taiwan · Nanyang Herbal Medicine” Cultural Promotion Week!

Distinguished guests, fellow compatriots:

Long and healthy life is the common aspiration of people today. Difficulties and high costs in accessing medical services remain one of the most prominent pain points. Dating back from “Shennong Tasting Hundred Herbs” to Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) and Compendium of Materia Medica, herbal medicine has evolved from accessible, easy-to-use and low-cost folk healing practices into a way of life centred on the philosophies of “harmony between humanity and nature” and “medicine and food sharing the same origin”. It has long been embedded in our cultural lineage.

Herbal medicine is far more than remedies for healing and health preservation. It is a living chronicle of human migration and a cross-border shared cultural memory. Minnan ancestors brought herbal knowledge south to the Nanyang region, where it intertwined with the medicinal wisdom of Baba-Nyonya communities and indigenous Malay botanical knowledge, giving rise to the unique “Nanyang Herbal Medicine” we know today.

What makes it even more precious is that herbal medicine keeps pace with the times, embodying the continuous renewal of Chinese civilisation. Artemisinin stands as one of its most outstanding examples. Amid the advanced development of modern medicine, the value of herbal medicine has not faded. Instead, it gains fresh vitality in preventive care, wellness conditioning, holistic approaches and new drug discovery.

Therefore, we must strengthen our historical confidence and cultural awareness. With an open and inclusive mindset, we shall promote herbal medicine culture to the world, take an active part in global health governance, advance international cooperation on the application of herbal medicine in major infectious disease prevention and control, integrate high-quality development with the Belt and Road Initiative, contribute to building a global community of health for all, and offer more Eastern-inspired healing wisdom and solutions to the world.

I believe this Cultural Week marks an important grassroots implementation of this vision. It is expected to build academic consensus and mobilise community support for the joint World Heritage nomination of herbal medicine knowledge. Drawing on the successful experience of the joint inscription of the “Sending the King Boat” custom by China and Malaysia, we can bring this shared herbal knowledge system of Minnan, Taiwan and Nanyang to a broader international stage.

It also serves as a micro-level practice for people-to-people bonds under the Belt and Road Initiative, and a community-based implementation of cultural inheritance, innovation and international people-to-people exchanges advocated by the Global Civilization Initiative. Rooted among ordinary people, this activity forges an invisible yet unbreakable bond of friendship between the two peoples.

I have learned from the organising committee that the Chinese delegation will also attend the International Seminar on Intangible Cultural Heritage hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia and the Government of the State of Malacca. The delegation will visit the herbal garden at the Minnan Cultural Inheritance Centre of Malacca Chinese National-type High School to discuss plans for its improvement and upgrading. I sincerely look forward to tangible, sustainable outcomes from these discussions.

Distinguished guests, fellow compatriots:

Malaysia and China are embarking on a new “Golden 50 Years”. Let us take herbal medicine culture as our link, identify the resonance zones for bilateral exchanges, connect the “Silk Road of Hearts” between our peoples, and create more vivid stories of grassroots exchanges through Minnan culture.

Once again, welcome to all guests. I wish this Cultural Week a complete success! May all of you enjoy good health and every success in your undertakings.

Thank you!