Yi Yin Classic TCM Large Model Launches in Song County, Marking the Debut of China's First Reasoning-Based AI for Traditional Chinese Medicine

As the time-honored wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) deeply integrates with cutting-edge artificial intelligence, a grassroots-oriented medical transformation is quietly taking root in the Central Plains. On September 16, 2025, the intelligentization of TCM reached a milestone: the “Yiyin TCM Classics Large Model,” China’s first large reasoning model integrating “TCM education + AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment,” was officially launched in Song County, Henan Province, home to the Central Plains Medicine Valley. Consequently, all 337 village clinics in the county have entered an era of “bright” (AI-enhanced) medical practice. This marks the first deep integration of artificial intelligence with traditional TCM, achieving closed-loop services in county-level primary healthcare and injecting new momentum into the enhancement of grassroots TCM capabilities.

“Yi Yin” TCM Classic Large Model Officially Released in Song County, Henan

The “14th Five-Year” Action Plan for the Project to Enhance Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Service Capacity at the Primary Care Level, jointly issued in 2022 by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Health Commission, states that by 2025, five areas of “full coverage” should be achieved in primary care TCM services. This includes essentially achieving full coverage in the staffing of primary care TCM professionals, requiring that “100% of community health service stations and over 80% of village clinics be staffed with at least one medical professional capable of providing TCM services.” As the first and only county in China where 100% of the primary healthcare system has completed one year of training on classic TCM formulas, Songxian County has laid a solid talent foundation for the implementation of the Yiyin Classic TCM Large Language Model.

Yi Yin, a native of Song County, is regarded as the founding father of classic TCM formulas from the Shang Dynasty. The launch of the “Yi Yin Classic TCM Large Model” in Song County serves as a practical implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s directive to “inherit classics, uphold integrity, and pursue innovation.”

Unlike other open-source TCM AI systems, the Yiyin TCM Classics Large Model has two key features:

1. Use of Classic Formulas

Primary care serves as the vanguard of the tiered diagnosis and treatment system. The key to solving this challenge lies in leveraging limited resources at the grassroots level to affordably and effectively address the health concerns of the largest number of people. Zhang Zhongjing, the revered "Sage of Medicine" from Henan Province, once stated that proficient mastery of classical formulas could cure 80% of diseases worldwide. Throughout history, National Medical Masters have consistently emphasized the critical role of these classical formulas. Characterized by simple compositions, low costs, and significant efficacy, they remain highly valuable. However, mastering the 220 major classical formulas—whether through memorization or clinical application—requires decades of diligent effort. Proficiency in these formulas can elevate a clinician’s expertise to match or even surpass that of chief specialists in top-tier (Grade 3A) hospitals. The Yiyin TCM Classic Large Language Model encapsulates the collective experience of over 5,000 renowned National Medical Masters and veteran TCM practitioners in utilizing these 220 major classical formulas. By correlating classic famous prescriptions with contemporary clinical experiences in treating modern diseases, this model functions as if 5,000 master experts are collaboratively guiding a village doctor in formulating prescriptions.

2. Prescription Thinking Education

Yi Yin Classic Large Model is China’s leading fourth-generation large language model for TCM reasoning. During consultations, it fully reveals the step-by-step analytical thinking process behind disease assessment to primary care physicians, enabling them to achieve clarity in clinical reasoning, treatment objectives, prescription decisions, and prognosis throughout the entire clinical workflow. By combining high-level clinical practice with a one-year training program on classical formulas, the model empowers primary care physicians to become truly competent “clear-minded” TCM practitioners capable of delivering effective care to the general public.

As Xin Junfeng, Secretary of the Songxian County Committee of the Communist Party of China, announced on-site the official launch of the practical phase of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Revitalization Project for Primary Healthcare in the Central Plains Medicine Valley, Songxian County will gradually establish a comprehensive service chain encompassing learning, application, and treatment. While village doctors continue to receive systematic TCM education, they will also leverage AI to obtain real-time decision support.

As Ren Qingpeng, Deputy Secretary of the Songxian County Party Committee and County Mayor, stated, “Songxian County’s comprehensive promotion of training in classical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas and the research, development, and application of the Yi Yin TCM Classic Large Language Model represents not only a major breakthrough in fostering new quality productive forces for the Central Plains Medicine Valley but also a crucial measure to serve public welfare and enhance primary-care diagnostic and treatment capabilities.” This model focuses on physician training, solidifying the foundation in classical formulas through systematic education and encouraging primary-care physicians to actively embrace artificial intelligence technology. AI does not replace diagnosis; rather, it aids clinical reasoning and provides support, enabling physicians to base their diagnoses on evidence and pursue structured professional growth. This facilitates a true transition from being merely a “practitioner” to becoming a “master physician,” thereby serving as the first line of defense in safeguarding grassroots health.

The emergence of the Yi Yin TCM Classic Large Model was not an overnight achievement; behind it lies more than a decade of profound accumulation by Beijing Universe In Nutshell Technology in systematizing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) knowledge. The platform has systematically organized over 3,900 ancient and modern medical classics, integrated the clinical experiences of more than 5,000 renowned senior TCM practitioners, and leveraged data annotation and training from 200,000 TCM clinical courses across various specialties including internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, and pediatrics. This effort has established a high-quality, structured knowledge system of classic TCM formulas that is genuinely derived from clinical practice. These vivid, systematic, and practice-oriented professional TCM contents, enriched with chain-of-thought reasoning, serve as the core “intellectual raw materials” for the Yi Yin TCM Classic Large Model.

During this monumental process of knowledge structuring, over 300 volunteers from the “Jingyi Society” of Beijing Universe In Nutshell Technology collectively completed the curation of high-quality TCM corpora exceeding 3 billion tokens over a period of nearly two years. These professional TCM volunteers, hailing from across China, united by their passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), have joined hands to promote the modern inheritance of TCM wisdom. This collective endeavor, driven by a strong sense of industry mission, represents a contemporary manifestation of the enduring legacy and transmission of TCM.

Song County, as the first region to fully implement the Yi Yin TCM Classic Large Language Model, has made significant progress. In addition to the model’s launch, Song County held the “Closing Ceremony of the Primary Healthcare TCM Training Program in the Central Plains Medicine Valley.” Over the past year, from September 2024 to the present, the county has successfully completed comprehensive training in classical TCM formulas for all primary care physicians. A total of 625 village doctors across the county participated in 22 online and offline training sessions on classical TCM prescriptions, achieving a 100% completion rate. The program covered all 16 townships and 337 village clinics. This unprecedented large-scale TCM training initiative has set a vibrant example for cultivating primary healthcare TCM talent nationwide and has solidified the foundation for grassroots TCM services.

September 16, 2025: Site of the Phase Summary and Practical Launch of the Songxian County Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Classical Formula Training under the Grassroots TCM Revitalization Project of Zhongyuan Medicine Valley, and the Release Event of the “Yi Yin TCM Classic Large Model”

With the full launch of the Yi Yin Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Classic Large Model, Song County will further build an integrated service loop encompassing “education, learning, diagnosis, pharmacy, and management.” This initiative aims to enhance county-level TCM service capabilities across multiple dimensions—from talent development and diagnostic support to standardized services—truly realizing the goal that “minor illnesses are treated within the village, and common ailments within the township.”

With grassroots training in classical TCM formulas in one hand and large-model-assisted prescription support in the other, Song County—a major central-plain county for Chinese herbal medicine cultivation—is piloting a new model of grassroots traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services in the homeland of Yi Yin and Zhang Zhongjing. By combining millennia-old Chinese pharmaceutical wisdom with modern artificial intelligence, villagers can now access intelligent, efficient, and convenient TCM care right at their doorstep. The “Song County Model” is writing a fresh chapter in grassroots healthcare delivery under the Healthy China initiative.