Xiao Yongqing

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Xiao Yongqing, Male, Han, from China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques (Ⅸ-3). The tradition is documented in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Within the regional tradition and school record of Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences: It is said to have originated in the time of Shennong. The Shennong Bencao Jing (Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica) of the Han dynasty and the Bencao Jing Jizhu (Collected Commentaries on the Classic of the Materia Medica) by Tao Hongjing of the Liang dynasty already contain detailed accounts of the processing of Chinese medicinals. The Leigong Paozhi Lun (Lei Gong's Treatise on Processing) by Lei Xiao, a monograph on processing from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, records the processing methods and techniques for 300 drugs. The Xinxiu Bencao (Newly Revised Materia Medica) of the Tang dynasty was China's first national pharmacopoeia; it marked out methods of drug processing and marks the beginning of government protection for processing techniques. The Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) by Li Shizhen of the Ming dynasty set aside a special section on processing, while Miao Xiyong's Paozhi Dafa (Great Methods of Processing) summarised seventeen major methods of processing Chinese medicinals. The Xiushi Zhinan (Guide to Processing) by Zhang Rui of the Qing dynasty records 232 processing methods in detail.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Xiao Yongqing is anchored in the documented technical standards of Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Within the documented technical tradition of Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences: The processing of Chinese medicinals refers to the traditional methods and techniques of turning crude Chinese medicinal materials into prepared slices (yinpian) under the guidance of traditional Chinese medical theory and in accordance with the requirements of TCM drug use; in ancient times it was also known as "paozhi", "xiushi", or "xiuzhi". After processing, a drug not only has enhanced efficacy and reduced toxic side effects, but is also easier to store; processing is an indispensable step in the clinical use of Chinese medicine. Over several thousand years, rich processing methods and techniques have been accumulated, and a set of traditional processing tools has also been formed. Processing is the concentrated expression and core of the traditional pharmaceutical techniques of Chinese medicine; "prepared slices enter the medicine, and raw and processed drugs are used differently in treatment" is a distinctive feature and major advantage of Chinese medicine. The processing techniques for prepared slices of Chinese medicinals are unique to China; they are the crystallisation of China's several thousand years of traditional culture and a treasure of Chinese culture. The processing of Chinese medicinals has a long history. The Shanghan Zabing Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases) by Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han dynasty records the processing of more than one hundred drugs. Because modern drug use has tended towards standardisation, the traditional model of "one prescription, one method" no longer exists, and many traditional processing techniques that were distinctive and capable of producing special effects have gradually been forgotten. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Record of Process Steps": After processing, a drug not only has enhanced efficacy and reduced toxic side effects, but is also easier to store; processing is an indispensable step in the clinical use of Chinese medicine. "Compiling the national processing codex": The codex edited by Wang Xiaotao gathered provincial workshop practice into generally accepted entries for processing medicinal materials. "Key national project on prepared decoction pieces": As project leader and technical adviser, Wang Xiaotao headed the national key project on commonly used prepared decoction pieces in the Seventh and Eighth Five-Year Plans. "Processing toxic drugs to reduce harm": Special processing for poisonous substances, aiming to reduce their toxicity while preserving the effective parts before they enter a prescription.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Xiao Yongqing was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques, with China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences as its declared area, and Zhongguozhongyike College Zhongyao 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. Xiaoyongqing (China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Xiaoyongqing · China ICH Official Archive