China Alumni Footprint｜Mapping TCM’s global reach: Liu Kanghua (FMBA 2025) finds his footing in Guangzhou

A thriving trading port for centuries, Guangzhou has long been a hub where Chinese and Western influences intersect and flourish. This cosmopolitan heritage has shaped a distinct character for the city – quietly self-assured, pragmatic, steeped in tradition – quite unlike the relentless momentum of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Nowhere is this more evident than in the city’s living culture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has endured and evolved across the generations.

For Liu Kanghua (FMBA 2025), finance director of Gushengtang TCM, settling in Guangzhou was a natural choice. The city’s rare blend of traditional culture and modern commercial vitality has proved irresistible. Having spent years building his career in the TCM industry, he has worked to address the longstanding challenges of healthcare access and affordability, anchoring his approach in Cantonese wellness culture and harnessing AI to expand the practice of Chinese medicine beyond China’s borders.

Finding balance between tradition and modernity in Guangzhou

For Kanghua, life as a “lao guang” (a true Guangzhou local) embodies TCM’s philosophy of harmony and balance. Mornings often begin in the historic neighbourhoods of Yuexiu and Liwan over a leisurely yum cha breakfast, amidst the arcaded shophouses and the everyday vitality of old Guangzhou. Afternoons lead him to Tianhe’s Zhujiang New Town CBD, where the landmark Canton Tower (affectionately nicknamed the “slender waist”) pulses with contemporary urban energy. By evening, a stroll along Ersha Island offers the quieter rhythm of the Pearl River at dusk.

“Guangzhou is a city of genuine charm,” he says. “Only by actually living here can one fully appreciate the beauty of traditional culture and modern commerce coexisting in harmony.” For him, the city strikes a rare balance – business-friendly and pragmatic, with room to grow without the competitive pressure of other major hubs. Government support towards healthcare and other livelihood sectors has been substantial. In recent years, the city has also incubated a wave of high-growth innovative enterprises. Between Guangzhou’s gentle pace and quiet efficiency, Kanghua has found a sustainable balance between career and life. 

Reading the industry through the Cantonese soup culture

In many Cantonese households, a meal typically begins with soup – a tradition rooted in the wisdom of nourishing the body in tune with the seasons. This everyday wellness ritual is the very soil from which the TCM industry grows. Living in Guangzhou for years, Kanghua has observed how deeply Chinese medicine is woven into the fabric of daily life. “When people catch a cold or feel under the weather, a few doses of Chinese medicine or a session of acupuncture or tuina (therapeutic massage) often sort them out, simply and effectively.”

That ingrained trust creates a fertile ground for private TCM providers. Kanghua points out that while there is a steady demand for TCM services, quality specialists at public Grade 3A (top-tier) hospitals are in short supply, and securing an appointment remains notoriously difficult. Private TCM clinics fill this gap, offering greater flexibility in hours, location and consultation format, easing the supply-demand mismatch and giving patients more accessible options. “At primary-level medical institutions, health insurance reimbursement rates are often higher than at Grade 3A hospitals, reaching as high as 90% in some cities.” For Kanghua, the two exist in a natural division of labour. Private TCM providers focus on primary care, managing common ailments and chronic conditions. Grade 3A hospitals, meanwhile, prioritise acute, critical and complex cases alongside research and teaching. Together, these two models sustain a shared and mutually reinforcing healthcare ecosystem.

AI provides the catalyst for taking TCM global

If Guangzhou’s soup culture revealed the depth of TCM, AI has shown Kanghua how far those roots might extend. TCM has long relied on the accumulated experience of individual practitioners – an inherently personalised, one-patient-one-prescription model. AI is now driving a pivotal shift in this centuries-old profession. “Through deep learning and rigorous analysis of clinical experience, AI can identify patterns in prescriptions, transforming individualised knowledge that traditionally eluded standardisation into scalable, replicable professional services that transcend the limits of time and place.”

This breakthrough goes beyond improving service efficiency, Kanghua observes. It is the catalyst for TCM’s internationalisation. Chinese medicine already enjoys considerable recognition across Southeast Asia, and AI tools hold the potential of rapidly elevating the clinical capabilities of overseas practitioners towards the standards of master physicians. Taking TCM global is not merely cultural outreach: it is an industrial transformation, driven by modern technology and anchored in standardisation to position Chinese medicine for a new era of global relevance.

Applying business school thinking to management

Reflecting on his FMBA experience at CUHK Business School, Kanghua describes it as a fulcrum for his career, enabling him to apply international perspectives and systematic business thinking to the management of a traditional industry. The programme was more than gaining knowledge; it trained him to connect, deepen and ultimately apply the learnings through in-depth analysis of real-world business cases. “The repeated discussion and dissection made my thinking more rounded,” Kanghua says.

The School’s extensive alumni network has also proved a lasting asset. Kanghua remains closely connected with fellow alumni, having taken part together in the Gobi Desert Challenge and other group-training expeditions on behalf of the School. Whether in Hong Kong or cities across the mainland, there are always occasions to get together.

Kanghua and his FMBA classmates tackled trail races together, and a bond built over shared experiences has kept them in regular contact long after graduation

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CUHK Business School boasts a global alumni network of over 45,000, with a strong presence across China. “China Alumni Footprint” invites you to journey through different cities nationwide to discover alumni stories, their enduring ties with the land, and the local culture and emerging opportunities they’ve embraced. To explore more inspiring alumni stories, please click HERE.