TCM pills made by Shen Jinhua. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Shen Jinhua, a 60-year-old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Rugao, Nantong, has been exploring an easier way to make TCM pills over the past decade.

A bag of TCM powder, a bottle of purified water, a flat round bamboo-woven basket, and two brushes are all the TCM practitioner needs to make the pills.

Shen (first from left) showcases the TCM pills. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The simple preparation techniques created by Shen have been recognized by multiple TCM experts and led to Shen receiving provincial recognition.

Pills, powder, paste, and pellets are the four basic kinds of TCM, and Shen's technique allows pills to be made using fewer materials. The pills are also easier to swallow, carry, and store.

Shen explained that over the past several thousand years, making TCM pills has been an experiential craft. Experts have always made pills in accordance with their experience while novices usually do not know where to start.

Shen teaches primary school students in Rugao about TCM. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

In 2000, it occurred to Shen that he could try to summarize the standard process for making TCM pills. Twelve years later, he proposed creative preparation techniques, which divide the process into four stages, and compiled instructions.

Shen has introduced mathematical thinking into the preparation process in a bid to more accurately control the weight of each pill. He noted that every 35 of the pills he makes weigh one gram and each pill spans 3 to 4.5 millimeters in diameter.