Haifeng Cao

Haifeng Cao serves as the Curator of the Popular Science Department at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM) Museum. He holds a Master’s degree in Biomedicine from SHUTCM and is a Licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner. Additionally, he serves as Director of the Professional Committee of Chinese Medicine Herbarium under the China Commodity Society.

With 17 years of experience in TCM popularization, he oversees the Bacchus Garden at SHUTCM and manages the Museum’s Herbarium. He has studied under renowned experts, including Mr. Tufu Fang (China’s leading wild ginseng specialist) and Mr. Yuqing Ye (a distinguished TCM expert), mastering the identification of wild ginseng and other rare medicinal herbs.

Mr. Cao has contributed significantly to the field through teaching, research, and standardization efforts. He has:

• Conducted workshops on rare medicinal herbs for the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Association.

• Participated in drafting the ‘Grade Quality Standards for Wild-Simulated Ginseng (T/SHATCMI 0006—2024)’ (2021).

• Traveled extensively across China to collect and document Chinese herbs, supported by over a decade of hands-on TCM practice.

• Specialized in herbal cultivation, identification, and Gentianaceae plant classification.

Currently, he focuses on:

• Promoting TCM culture and public education.

• Quality assessment of wild ginseng and rare herbs.

• Taxonomic research on Gentianaceae plants.

His publications include:

• Multiple popular science articles and academic papers.

• Discovery and naming of 3 new Gentianaceae species (as first/corresponding author).

• Co-authorship of 4 books:

  • Illustrated Catalogue of Commonly Used Anti-tumour Traditional Chinese Medicines

  • Materia Medica with Spirit

  • Ask the Stone for Medicine

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine in Daily Life: Smell the Fragrance and Know the Herb