Nanyang Studies was established as a field of research centring on the history and geography of Southeast Asia and has been expanded to the studies of Southeast Asia from political，economic，social and ethnic perspectives. Hsu Yun-Tsiao’s interest in traditional medicine had been piqued as he scrutinized ancient Chinese medicine texts related to Southeast Asia for his historical-geographical studies. Hsu’s efforts in medical research have shaped Singapore’s Chinese medicine by delineating the academic lineage of Nanyang Medicine and promoting the popularization of Chinese medicine. On the one hand，through this medicinal perspective，Hsu exemplified the need of developing Nanyang Studies as a specific field with unique methodologies and new materials. On the other hand，the content change and the shift in focus in Hsu’s research reflect the influence of the changing local context—including the modernization of Singapore，the formation of a nation state and the construction of a local identity—on the development of Chinese medicine in Singapore.