Eastern European plants used in Chinese medicine: book by Wang Yifeng launched in Chișinău

Medicinal Plants of Eastern Europe Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, a work that combines botanical research from Eastern Europe with the principles of traditional Chinese medicine was launched at the Free International University of Moldova (ULIM). Present at the event, China’s Ambassador Dong Zhihua said that this book will be useful for the population of the Republic of Moldova by expanding access to information about traditional medicine.

The book, edited by Wang Yifeng, director of Confucius Institute at ULIM and PhD in botany, includes 247 species of medicinal plants from 77 botanical families in Eastern Europe. The work is published in three languages – Chinese, Romanian and Russian – and provides accessible information on the therapeutic properties of plants from the region.

“The richly illustrated and easy-to-understand volume represents a valuable combination of botanical research from Eastern Europe and traditional Chinese medicine, contributing to the promotion of the latter and to harnessing the potential of medicinal plants in the region. The book will benefit the population of the Republic of Moldova and Eastern Europe and will stimulate cultural exchanges between the two areas,” said Dong Zhihua.

The ambassador mentioned the recent launch of the third phase of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Center project in Moldova, funded by China, which aims to increase the population’s access to this type of medicine and to contribute to a better understanding of Chinese culture.

The event was attended by representatives of the academic and institutional community, including Radu Plămădeală, head of the Public Policy Coordination and European Integration Directorate within the Ministry of Health, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valentina Ciumacenco, ULIM vice-rector for international relations, and Lucia Fișer, director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Center of Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

The launch of the volume is part of efforts to strengthen academic and cultural cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and the People’s Republic of China, highlighting the shared interest in research, education, and health.

Wang Yifeng is a scholar in the fields of botany and plant ecology. He has been a visiting researcher at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic and has carried out extensive scientific and teaching activities, publishing more than 80 articles in prestigious journals and contributing to the discovery and classification of new plant species. In particular, he discovered, named, and described three new plant species in China, consolidating his reputation in the international scientific community. Since 2015, Wang Yifeng has served as the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at ULIM, standing out through the significant development of educational and cultural programs.