Deconstructing and Reconstructing Tradition

This article explores the impact of the implementation of modern pharmaceutical governance methods—specifically, good manufacturing practices (GMP)—on the production of Tibetan medicines in China. GMP is a system of modern pharmaceutical regulation aimed at ensuring the safety and efficacy of drug production. The introduction of GMP to Tibetan medicine stands as a symbol for the industrialization of Tibetan medicine in Tibet. I argue in this article that the introduction of GMP is an important part of a continuous and long-term modernization phenomenon. I therefore started this research by looking into the broader social and cultural transformation processes affecting Tibetan medicine as a whole prior to the implementation of GMP, which helped me to place the impact of GMP in recent historical and social contexts. I examine the more specific impact of GMP implementation on Tibetan medicine in terms of the overall compatibility of the ideologies underpinning these two systems for determining what “good” manufacturing entails. I ethnographically examine the attitudes of practitioners reflected in their narratives about GMP, along with illustrations of local professionals’ engagement at different stages of implementation. These points of evidence describe the advantages and problems prompted by integrating GMP into Tibetan medicine production.