Core Points - The "Tongrentang Cup" vocational skills competition has commenced, highlighting the importance of traditional Chinese medicine craftsmanship [1] - The competition includes new categories for traditional Chinese medicine production, emphasizing the significance of these skills in modern times [3] - The increased difficulty of the competition challenges participants to demonstrate comprehensive skills across multiple traditional medicine production techniques [5] Group 1: Competition Overview - The event features 35 participants in traditional Chinese medicine production and 100 in medicine identification, with 35 and 18 advancing to practical preliminaries respectively [3] - The addition of traditional Chinese medicine production as a new category aims to enhance the development and transmission of traditional skills [3] Group 2: Participant Performance - Notable performances include Sun Xiaoguang from Yizhuang Factory, who excelled in the pill-making process, completing the initial step in just half an hour [7] - Zhang Ziwei from Daxing Factory demonstrated exceptional skill in slicing, producing uniform slices of Huangqi that met standards [9] - Du Zongru from Liujiayao Factory showcased her expertise in honey pill production, effectively controlling the heat during the critical refining stage [12] Group 3: Advancement in Competition - A total of 13 participants from the traditional medicine production category and 10 from the medicine identification category advanced to the semifinals [14]