The Beijing Chinese Medicine Training Institute was established during the Republic of China period， against the backdrop of the arduous struggle within the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） community to resist efforts to abolish TCM. This was not only an attempt to transition TCM education from the traditional teacher-apprentice model to a modern educational system， but also a concentrated reflection of the historical mission and responsibility of the teachers and students of the training institute to “continue the past learning for the future”. LI Maoru （1917-2001）， a TCM scholar and cataloguer of TCM literature， was an outstanding student trained by the institute. Amid the turmoil of war and the twists and turns of his life， he used his life to protect and preserve materials such as commemorative books and textbooks from the institute. These materials allow us to explore the academic ideas and medical style of renowned Yan Zhao TCM masters， including WANG Fengchun， LIU Yifeng， ZHAO Shuping， QU Wenlou， AN Qianqing， YAN Jiwu， YANG Shucheng， and ZHAO Tiqian. His efforts to rescue， excavate， and preserve these remains of the institute offer practical guidance for how TCM education in the new era can return to its roots， open up new developments， and uphold traditions while innovating