Teng Ying

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Teng Ying, Male, Han, from Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods (Ⅸ-2). The tradition is documented in Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui. Within the regional tradition and school record of TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods in Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui: The Qimen snakebite therapy is distributed mainly across Huangshan, Chizhou, Xuancheng, Tongling, Wuhu and Anqing in southern Anhui and the surrounding areas of Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangxi, radiating to the provinces and cities of Jiangsu, Hubei, Shandong and Fujian, and reaching as far as Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Fujian and Yunnan. It has deep foundations and a long history, beginning in the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, when the presented scholar (juren) Teng Dianzhong, who was charitable and fond of giving, was secretly taught snake medicine by a folk “snake charmer,” and it has been transmitted within the family for generations for more than two hundred years.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Teng Ying is anchored in the documented technical standards of TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods in Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui. Within the documented technical tradition of TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods in Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui: The Qimen snakebite therapy is a distinctive traditional therapy that uses traditional Chinese medicine as its mainstay to treat bites of all kinds of venomous snakes, having formed a series of “Qimen snake medicines.” Qimen County lies in the mountainous area of southern Anhui, with a subtropical monsoon climate, mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and four distinct seasons. The favorable ecology provides an excellent environment for snakes to live and breed; more than ten species of venomous snakes are found here, and those engaged in outdoor labor are easily bitten by them. At the same time, traditional Chinese medicinal materials are abundant in variety; Qimen snake, Qimen atractylodes and Qimen polygonatum are all prized medicinals of Anhui. The Qimen snakebite therapy emphasizes “treating according to the disease and according to pattern differentiation,” and treats primarily with the traditional Qimen snakebite therapy. It can significantly reduce the mortality, amputation (finger/toe) and disability rates from snakebite, overcome the allergic shock induced by antivenom, compensate for the narrowness of the range of snake species covered, and effectively reduce the use of antivenom and antibiotics. It is especially adept at treating bites of the five-step snake. It emphasizes early detoxification and expulsion of venom in five-step snakebite and similar cases, does not advocate excessive ligature or incision and drainage, and reduces intravenous infusion in severe cases; in the middle stage it emphasizes supporting the healthy qi and consolidating the root, or creating fistulous drainage, effectively reducing tissue trauma and ulcerative necrosis so as to protect organs such as the heart, liver and kidney; in the late stage, through external application and fumigation-washing, it brings the injured limb to rapid reduction of swelling and recovery, with emphasis on preventing and treating contracture and functional impairment of the injured limb. It has formed a distinctive snakebite therapy with a high cure rate. As a famous medicinal for snakebite treatment in China, Qimen snake medicine has seen its “snakebite emergency kit” exported to Southeast Asia and Africa, while external snakebite medicinals such as Quyu San (Stasis-Dispelling Powder) and “Snakebite Recovery Formula No. 1” are widely used in the treatment of limb swelling and pain and enjoy a high reputation. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Early detoxification": At the outset the emphasis is on neutralizing and clearing venom, without tight binding, incision or heavy infusion. "Supporting the body mid-stage": Mid-course the focus is on supporting the patient, with a fistula created if needed and the heart, liver and kidneys shielded. "External care in recovery": Late-stage external application and washing reduce swelling and guard against contracture and loss of function. "The pit-viper regimen": The school's most demanding case, the bite of the sharp-nosed pit viper, treated with a regimen of its own.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Teng Ying was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods, with Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of TCM Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods in Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui as its declared area, and Anhui Qimen County Sheshang Research Institute as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Tengying (Huangshanshiqimen, Anhui) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Tengying · China ICH Official Archive