The terminology “bacterium” was introduced to China at the turn of the 20th century, its Chinese version “xijun” was finally as accepted and considered a good example for alien concepts’ transcultural transference into the Chinese. The “travel” of “bacterium” went through three stages: translation of the term, acceptance of its concept, and establishment of its Chinese equivalent “xijun (细菌)”. The process of emergence, concurrence, and disappearance of different Chinese terms including “weichong” “weishengwu” “weijun” “meijun” “weishengchong” and “weishengdu” demonstrated linguistic complexities of concepts’ transcultural transference, of which re-contextualization was its essence. As a matter of fact, the Chinese concept of “chong” and the traditional etiological theories provided preparatory conditions for “bacterium” being accepted, and its established Chinese version “xijun” resulted from exercises of social power. The characteristics of such a “travel” process may shed light on efficient transcultural communication.