Shanghai North Bund offers TCM pulse consultations and massage to international cruise visitors

Shanghai Municipal Government · 2026-11-02 · Read the original

International cruise visitors received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) health services at a temporary market on Shanghai’s North Bund on October 22, according to a November 2 report on the municipal government’s English website. The event welcomed Azamara Pursuit, which docked at the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal carrying more than 600 international visitors.

Hospital-led pulse consultations and massage

Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital organized the TCM booth. Visitors queued for traditional pulse-taking consultations, during which practitioners shared health insights based on TCM practice. A nearby shoulder-and-neck massage station also attracted queues, with passengers seeking a service intended to ease travel fatigue.

The report’s photographs show Chinese herbal aroma bottles and a cruise passenger receiving shoulder and neck massage. The figure of more than 600 describes the ship’s international visitors, rather than a reported total of people receiving health services.

Heritage activities and a planned return

Alongside the health services, the market featured paper flower-flipping, known as fanhua, tea ceremonies and lacquer fan-making. Visitors were also offered dedicated itineraries to local landmarks, including the Shanghai Haipai Culture Center.

The report placed the event in the context of the North Bund’s port location and China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy, with Hongkou district seeking to encourage inbound tourism spending. It announced that the market would return in mid-November when Luminara arrives. That return was a future arrangement; the pulse consultations and massage described in the report took place during the October 22 visit.