National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Medical research organization in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan
The National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine is a government research facility in the Beitou district of Taipei, dedicated to studying traditional Chinese medicine through laboratory science. The grounds include research buildings, a living herb garden, and a specialized library with archival holdings.
The institute began as a preparatory office in 1957 and opened formally as a full research center in 1963. In 2013 it was placed under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which shifted its institutional focus.
The herb garden on the grounds grows plants that have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries, and visitors can walk among them and see them labeled and tended. This living collection shows how traditional plant knowledge is still actively used rather than simply stored in books.
The institute is close to Shipai Station on the Taipei Metro and easy to reach without a car. Not all parts of the grounds are open to the public, so it is worth checking ahead before visiting.
Researchers here use zebrafish to study how drug addiction affects the brain, which is not something most visitors would expect from a traditional medicine institute. Zebrafish are useful for this because parts of their brain structure are similar to those found in humans.
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