Liaoheyuan Guanyao Museum. [Photo/Cailian News]

Liaoheyuan Guanyao Museum in Liaoyuan, Northeast China's Jilin province, is emerging as a new destination for cultural tourism and educational travel, combining traditional Chinese medicine culture with immersive visitor experiences.

Guanyao is a traditional term for traditional Chinese medicinal herbs produced in regions north of the Shanhai Pass, including northeast China and parts of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Built around a century-old pine with a canopy spanning more than 300 square meters, the museum is China's first dedicated to guanyao and also serves as an interactive research and learning platform for herbal medicine culture.

The complex covers about 13,000 sq m and includes exhibition halls, study centers, a viewing tower, and a traditional errenzhuan (two-person opera) theater. Inside the main exhibition hall, eight themed sections display more than 2,000 herbal specimens and introduce the history, varieties, and cultural heritage of guanyao medicine.

Liaoheyuan Guanyao Museum. [Photo/Cailian News]

Beyond exhibitions, the museum has expanded into wellness tourism, folk culture, and hands-on education. Guest rooms at the danggui (Chinese angelica)-themed homestay feature herbal foot baths and medicinal aromas, while the restaurant offers health-focused dishes made with local ingredients. Visitors can also enjoy folk performances and explore parks filled with medicinal plants.

As a provincial traditional Chinese medicine education base, the museum also organizes immersive study programs for students, including herb identification, planting experiences, and field learning activities designed to inspire interest in traditional culture among younger generations.