Traditional Chinese Medicine Scholarships in China for Students from Vietnam
If you are a Vietnamese student drawn to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is the most culturally resonant field on this site — TCM is woven into Vietnam's own medical heritage — and also the one with the most important caveat. A Chinese TCM degree opens deep training and funded study, but it does NOT by itself let you practise medicine in Vietnam: that is a separate licence, decided case-by-case by Vietnam's Ministry of Health. Read the practice section carefully before you commit five to six years. Every figure is sourced; verify licensing directly with the authorities.
Last reviewed June 2026
On this page
- 1. Why study Traditional Chinese Medicine in China as a Vietnamese student?
- 2. What it costs — and what scholarships cover
- 3. Which scholarships actually fit you
- 4. Where to study — the top TCM universities
- 5. How to apply — the 5-year degree, HSK, timeline
- 6. How competitive is it — and how to stand out
- 7. The big question: can you practise TCM in Vietnam?
- 8. Sources
Why study Traditional Chinese Medicine in China as a Vietnamese student?
For a Vietnamese student, TCM is not a foreign subject — it is part of your own roots. Studying it in China means going to the source of a tradition Vietnam already shares.
- Vietnamese traditional medicine has two intertwined branches: thuốc bắc ('Northern medicine', essentially TCM) and thuốc nam (indigenous Vietnamese herbal medicine). Scholars describe them as nearly impossible to separate — so for a Vietnamese student, TCM theory is woven into the foundations of your own national tradition.
- Vietnam reveres physicians who worked within this shared tradition — Tuệ Tĩnh (born 1330), father of Vietnamese herbal medicine, and Hải Thượng Lãn Ông / Lê Hữu Trác (1724–1791), Vietnam's most celebrated physician, honoured by UNESCO — a lineage a Vietnamese TCM student directly inherits.
- Traditional medicine is a formal part of Vietnam's health system (five national traditional-medicine hospitals, 61 provincial ones and integrated departments down to commune level), and Party policy has repeatedly pushed to expand its role — though it is still a minority of care today (about 3.3% of treatments in 2025).
- Vietnam depends on China for the raw materials of traditional medicine — it consumes on the order of 60,000 tonnes of herbal medicine a year but grows only about 5,000 tonnes, importing the large majority (commonly cited as over 80%) from China. A China-trained practitioner understands both the medicine and the supply chain behind it.
What it costs — and what scholarships cover
TCM is a long commitment — the clinical degree is five years, often six for international students — so think in total cost, not just per year. A full scholarship makes China near-zero cost; but for this field there is a second, bigger calculation in the practice section below.
| Path | Approx. annual cost (tuition + living) |
|---|---|
China — full CSC / Shanghai or Guangxi government scholarship Tuition, housing, insurance and a monthly stipend — but over a 5–6 year degree. Guangxi's ASEAN stipend is lower (~1,000 RMB/mo) than the national CSC (~2,500). | ≈ $0 out of pocket |
China — self-funded English-taught TCM tuition is about CNY 42,000/year (e.g. Shanghai UTCM) plus living; Chinese-taught can be lower. | ≈ $9,000–15,000 |
Vietnam — a traditional-medicine degree at home Lower cost, and it trains you directly inside Vietnam's own licensing system — a real advantage for practising at home (see below). | ≈ $4,500–6,000 |
Approximate 2024–2025 planning figures, not guarantees; a TCM degree is 5–6 years, so multiply accordingly.
A full scholarship typically covers
- Full tuition waiver
- Free on-campus accommodation (or an allowance if approved to live off-campus)
- A monthly living stipend (CSC: ~2,500 RMB undergraduate; Guangxi ASEAN scholarship: ~1,000 RMB)
- Comprehensive medical insurance
Mind the gap
The honest trade-off for TCM is not really money — it's the licence. Studying a traditional-medicine degree at home in Vietnam trains you directly toward a Vietnamese practising licence, whereas a Chinese TCM degree faces a separate recognition-and-evaluation process before you can treat patients in Vietnam (see the practice section). Weigh that against China's deeper training and funded study before you choose. Also budget the upfront costs before your stipend starts.
Nanning (Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, on the Vietnam border) keeps living costs around 1,200 RMB/month, well below Beijing or Shanghai.
Which scholarships actually fit you
Funding for TCM is solid, and one school in particular runs many of the awards open to you. Read the list with the 5–6 year length in mind:
Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) — the full national route
Covers TCM majors at many universities, fully funded (tuition, housing, stipend ~2,500 RMB/mo undergraduate, insurance). Apply via the CSC / CampusChina portal.
Shanghai University of TCM awards — the funding hub for this field
Shanghai UTCM runs the Shanghai Government Scholarship (Class A is fully funded; Class B covers tuition and insurance) and several university awards — most of the TCM scholarships in our list sit here. Its application window runs 1 January – 30 June.
Guangxi Government ASEAN Scholarship — Vietnam-targeted, on your border
At Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine in Nanning, this funds tuition, housing, insurance and textbooks with a monthly stipend (~1,000 RMB undergraduate). It explicitly reserves a small number of places for Vietnamese candidates, recommended through the Vietnam Consulate General in Nanning, with a one-year Chinese-prep year if your HSK is not yet sufficient.
Belt & Road (Silk Road) awards — confirm the major
Vietnam qualifies for CSC Silk Road scholarships at many universities, but the majors offered under that track don't always include the 5-year clinical TCM degree — check availability with each school.
9 Traditional Chinese Medicine scholarships open to students from Vietnam
Zhejiang Institute of Science and Technology Chinese Government Scholarship
Silk Road Scholarship for Foreign Students at Northwest University
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine "Silk Road" Scholarship Program
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shanghai Government Scholarship for Foreign Students
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Good Student Scholarship for Foreign Students
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pre-University Scholarship for Foreign Students
Scholarships for Foreign Students (Full English Taught) at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SUTCM)
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Golden Key Scholarship
Confucius Institute Scholarship for Zhejiang Institute of Science and Technology
Where to study — the top TCM universities
TCM has its own specialist universities, and a clear top tier. Of the schools that are 'Double First-Class' for clinical TCM (中医学) — Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou — the last is closest to Vietnam; and one provincial school is closer still:
The strongest on paper — the only TCM university in Project 211, and 'Double First-Class' in three disciplines (clinical TCM, Chinese pharmacy, and integrated Chinese-Western medicine). It also offers English-taught / bilingual TCM.
A top-1/2 TCM university, Double First-Class in both clinical TCM and Chinese pharmacy — and the funding hub for this field, with the Shanghai Government Scholarship and an English-taught TCM (Acupuncture) bachelor.
Double First-Class for clinical TCM and the southernmost of the elite TCM schools — its subtropical south Chinese setting is the closest of the top-tier TCM universities to Vietnam.
Your Vietnam bridge: in Nanning, the closest provincial-capital TCM university to the border, where about 80% of international students come from ASEAN countries including Vietnam — and it reserves Guangxi Government Scholarship places for Vietnamese applicants.
Your Vietnam bridge & getting there
Nanning is the most physically accessible TCM base for Vietnamese students — a direct daily cross-border train (T8701/T8702, roughly 12 hours) runs to Hanoi via the Pingxiang–Dong Dang crossing near the Friendship Pass, alongside the usual flights and the Huu Nghi land gate.
How to apply — the 5-year degree, HSK, timeline
TCM is a long, mostly Chinese-medium medical degree, so the application turns on the language bar and the years you're signing up for. Undergraduate applicants from 2026 also sit the CSCA. Start about 12–18 months ahead.
Admission: a 5-year medical degree and a high HSK bar
TCM is unusual. The clinical 中医学 degree is a five-year medical programme (often six for international students, with a Mandarin foundation year and a clinical-internship year), taught in Chinese using classical and medical texts — so your Chinese (HSK) is the decisive gate. From the 2026 intake, undergraduate applicants also sit the CSCA, where TCM sits in the medical track (Maths plus a science) — but for the Chinese-taught clinical degree, the HSK level is what really sorts applicants:
- The clinical 中医学 degree is 5 years (often 6 with a foundation year and a clinical-internship year) and is a state-controlled medical programme — a serious, long commitment.
- Chinese-taught study needs a high HSK — HSK 5 is a common realistic bar, some schools admit at HSK 4, and several set HSK 5–6 graduation gates.
- A few flagships (Beijing UCM, Shanghai UTCM) offer English-taught / bilingual TCM, which swaps HSK for IELTS ~6 / TOEFL ~90 — but it is the exception, not the norm.
- On the CSCA, TCM is in the medical (理工农医) track — Maths plus at least one science, and a science background helps — but the language bar matters more here than the science paper.
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine — Admits Chinese-taught applicants at HSK 4 and above, and also runs English-taught / bilingual TCM — the strongest school overall.
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine — Asks HSK 5 (≥180) or HSK 4 (≥210) for Chinese-taught study; its English-taught TCM (Acupuncture) bachelor needs TOEFL above 90 or IELTS above 6.
Because the clinical degree is Chinese-taught and the HSK bar differs by school, confirm the exact HSK level (and whether a Chinese-prep year applies) on your target university's brochure — and weigh the five-to-six-year, Chinese-medium commitment honestly. The CSCA Maths paper is where our practice helps.
Practice for the CSCA- 112–18 months before
Decide Chinese-taught (the norm — needs a high HSK) vs an English-taught/bilingual track at a flagship (IELTS ~6 / TOEFL ~90, no HSK). Build your Chinese early; many programmes add a one-year Chinese foundation year if your HSK is short.
- 29–12 months before
Shortlist TCM universities and scholarships, and — critically for this field — research the practice-licence path home (see below) before you commit. Note Shanghai UTCM's 1 January–30 June window and the Guangxi ASEAN route via the Nanning consulate.
- 3Application window
Prepare documents and apply through the right channel (CSC / CampusChina portal, or the university and provincial scholarship). Confirm whether your programme is the 5-year clinical 中医学 degree or a shorter non-clinical track.
- 4On acceptance
Receive your admission notice and the JW form (JW201 on a government scholarship, JW202 if self-funded).
- 5≥ 1 month before travel
Apply for an X1 student visa at a Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang.
- 6Travel & arrival
Fly, or take the direct Nanning–Hanoi train / Huu Nghi land crossing for Guangxi; convert your X1 visa to a residence permit at the local Exit–Entry Administration within 30 days.
How competitive is it — and how to stand out
The schools are specialised and the language bar is high, so standing out is about clearing HSK and choosing a route that fits your real goal — practice, research, or the herbal-medicine trade.
- Push your HSK to 5 (and aim higher for graduation gates) — it is the single biggest lever for the Chinese-taught clinical degree.
- If your Chinese isn't there yet, use a funded one-year Chinese-prep year (built into many programmes and the Guangxi ASEAN scholarship) rather than waiting.
- For the most Vietnam-accessible, funded route, target Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine in Nanning via the consulate-recommended ASEAN places.
- Decide early whether you want the 5-year clinical 中医学 degree or a non-clinical track (Chinese pharmacy / herbal medicine, or a TCM-oriented language BA) — they lead to very different careers and licensing situations.
The big question: can you practise TCM in Vietnam?
Degree recognition vs. the right to practise
This is the section that matters most for TCM — read it before you enrol. Recognising your degree and getting a licence to treat patients are two different things, run by two different Vietnamese ministries, and the second is not guaranteed.
- Degree recognition (công nhận văn bằng) is done by the Ministry of Education and Training, and Vietnam and China have a 2009 academic mutual-recognition agreement (China is the second-largest source of recognition applications, ~95% approved). But this recognises the qualification for employment and study — it does NOT by itself let you treat patients.
- The licence to practise (giấy phép hành nghề khám bệnh, chữa bệnh) is a separate document issued by the Ministry of Health, under Vietnam's Law 15/2023/QH15 (in force since 2024). A foreign-issued licence is recognised only via a treaty Vietnam has signed or a case-by-case Ministry of Health evaluation — and there is no Vietnam–China medical treaty (Vietnam's mutual-recognition arrangement is the ASEAN one, and China is not an ASEAN member).
- So expect the normal Vietnamese pathway: at least 12 months of supervised clinical practice and — from January 2027 — Vietnam's new national competency exam, for which traditional-medicine doctor is an assessed category (first session planned December 2027, for those graduating 2026 onward). If your Chinese degree is bachelor-level, you may need supplementary doctor-level TCM training in Vietnam first. (Good news for you specifically: the Vietnamese-language requirement that applies to foreign practitioners does not apply to a Vietnamese national.)
- The honest bottom line: no published Ministry of Health case confirms that a Chinese 中医学 degree has actually been accepted toward a Vietnamese TCM practising licence — it is decided case-by-case. Verify YOUR situation directly with Vietnam's Ministry of Health (Administration of Traditional Medicine) and VN-NARIC / MOET before you enrol, not with study-abroad agency marketing.
TCM careers back home in Vietnam
Clinical practice at home is gated by that licence, but TCM training opens more than the clinic — and several paths don't need a practising licence at all.
- Inside the clinic: traditional medicine is built into Vietnam's health system and policy keeps pushing to grow it — a real long-term opportunity, provided you clear the licensing path above.
- Outside the clinic (no practising licence needed): Vietnam imports over 80% of its herbal materia medica from China, so a China-trained graduate is well placed in the herbal-medicine trade, quality control and supply chain — a practical, open route.
- Research, integrative-care support, and TCM education are further options, and TCM has a global tailwind — the WHO's ICD-11 now includes a traditional-medicine chapter and acupuncture is practised in over 110 countries.
- One honest caveat: clinical demand in Vietnam is real but traditional medicine is still a small share of care today, and the route to a practising licence is genuinely uncertain for a Chinese degree — treat the non-clinical paths as the more dependable ones unless and until you have confirmed licensing.
Sources
Key facts on this page are drawn from official and reputable sources.
- Chinese Government Scholarship — official terms (UCAS)
- Shanghai University of TCM — international admissions
- Vietnam — Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (No. 15/2023/QH15)
- Vietnam MOET — foreign-degree recognition statistics
- WHO — Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine
- EthnoMed — Vietnamese traditional medicine
- ShanghaiRanking — best Chinese universities (TCM)
- Beijing government — student visa (X1/X2) guidance
More for students from Vietnam
FAQ: Traditional Chinese Medicine scholarships for students from Vietnam
Can a Vietnamese student get a scholarship to study TCM in China?
Yes. The Chinese Government Scholarship covers TCM majors fully; Shanghai University of TCM runs many of the field's awards (including the Shanghai Government Scholarship); and Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine reserves Guangxi Government Scholarship places for Vietnamese applicants via the Nanning consulate. Note the clinical degree is 5–6 years.
Can I practise TCM in Vietnam with a Chinese TCM degree?
Not automatically. Your degree can be recognised academically (Ministry of Education), but the licence to treat patients is separate (Ministry of Health) and decided case-by-case — there is no Vietnam–China medical treaty. Expect at least 12 months of supervised practice and, from 2027, a national competency exam; bachelor-level degrees may need supplementary doctor-level training. No published case confirms a Chinese TCM degree has been accepted, so verify with Vietnam's Ministry of Health before enrolling.
How many years is a TCM degree, and what language is it in?
The clinical 中医学 degree is five years (often six for international students, with a Mandarin foundation year and a clinical-internship year) and is normally taught in Chinese — so you need a high HSK (commonly HSK 5; some schools admit at HSK 4). A few flagships offer English-taught TCM with IELTS ~6 / TOEFL ~90 instead.
Which Chinese universities are best for TCM?
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine is the strongest (the only Project 211 TCM university); Shanghai University of TCM is a top-1/2 school and the funding hub; Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine is the southernmost top-tier school; and Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine in Nanning is the closest to Vietnam, with mostly ASEAN students and reserved Vietnamese places.
Do I need HSK, or can I study TCM in English?
The clinical degree is normally Chinese-taught and needs a high HSK (HSK 5 is a common bar). A few flagships — Beijing UCM and Shanghai UTCM — run English-taught or bilingual TCM that uses IELTS ~6 / TOEFL ~90 instead of HSK, but this is the exception.
Why study TCM in China as a Vietnamese student?
Because TCM is part of Vietnam's own medical heritage (thuốc bắc, and revered physicians like Hải Thượng Lãn Ông), Vietnam imports most of its herbal medicine from China, and China offers the deepest TCM training — just plan the licensing path home carefully, and consider the non-clinical careers that don't require a practising licence.