China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. and other Beijing, China Tourist Trap Tips

The tour I took made a quick and unscheduled stop on the way back from the Ming tombs. Every tour takes you someplace as part of a paid advertising thing. Most of the time it is "the Marco Polo store" where you have lunch and do a little shopping. That I am ok with.

this trip was different. We stopped by the China Academy of Traditional Cinese Medicine, Imperial Family Expert Clinic and Tong Ren Tang Pharmacy. We were taken down a long hall and shown into a little room where we were given an explanation of traditional chinese medicine. Then we were taken to another room where a guy tapped on our wrists and looked deep into my eyes and told me that I drank too much and had a bad liver.

Soon, I was prescribed two bottles of little pills that looked like peppercorns or rabit raisins, and bearing the taste of an equivalent of the later. Not being a big drinker, an occasional beer when I eat Korean food, I was a bit skeptical.

I was soon given 2 bottles and told that this clinic had been the one to serve all the leaders of China, including Mao, and that it would be an insult not to buy them. I was soon out 20 bucks. My friend came out and amazingly enough had the exact same liver problems. Funny, he never drinks.

Leave a Comment

At Least Do This: If you get stuck going there, just try to hide out in the hall, or politely decline the examination when offered. That will save you a world of trouble later on.
Alternative: Most of the time, the driver for the tours hangs out in the bus. Tell the tour guide that your legs are hurting and you would like to just sit in the bus and rest. Or if possible, politely tell them you are not interested and move on.