MUNICH, Germany - A meeting on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) came to an end on Sunday in the southern German city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, attracting more than 1,200 attendants from 32 countries and regions.

The 44th TCM Kongress Rothenburg 2013, kicked off on Tuesday, was organized by the German Association for Classical Acupuncture and TCM.

This year's event included a total of 174 lectures and discussions, which were not only about Chinese medicine, acupuncture, qigong, massage, but also involved Chinese medicine in treatment of mental illness, cancer, infertility and other types of diseases.

The meeting provided a stage for European practitioners to exchange experiences and skills in order to learn from each other, which plays an active role in spreading TCM culture, pharmaceutical entrepreneur Zhong Wenjun said.

Asked about Chinese medicine's share on the German market, Nils von Below, chairman of the Association for Classical Acupuncture and TCM, said there have been no official statistics yet, but this is an ever-expanding market with a bright future, like the so-called "sunrise industry".

He believes that Chinese medicine is one of the most beautiful business cards for China, through which the West will learn more about Chinese medicine and establish closer ties with China.

TCM Kongress Rothenburg began in 1968 and has grown into Europe's largest TCM meeting. The 45th meeting is scheduled from May 27 to June 1 in 2014.