Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The introduction and cultivation of angelica (Angelica sinensis) in Minxian County can be roughly inferred from the exchange of local products in the central Longzhong area and the Minzhou region: angelica is a three-year plant, and its seeds lose their power of germination unless they are sown within the very year they mature, so seed retention must be scheduled together with production; this compelled farming households to link seed gathering, seedling raising and planting into an unbreakable chain. This chain of process steps took fixed shape through long adaptation to the seasons, from the cutting of leaves some ten-odd days before harvest to the digging up after Frost's Descent, and from shade-net seedling raising around the Beginning of Summer to the lifting of seedlings around the Mid-Autumn period and their storage in cellars; the sequence was determined entirely by the farming calendar. The processing of angelica also shifted from processing on delivery to dedicated smoking and baking: the dryness or wetness of the bean stalks, firewood and straw, together with the control of heat, directly governed the retention of volatile oil — when the smoking was done well, the roots could be kept for years.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Minxian Angelica Processing Technique is the knowledge, skills and practices of the local people of Minxian County concerning the processing and preparation of angelica; it is distributed mainly across eighteen townships of Minxian County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, including Xizhai Town, Qingshui Town and Shili Town. Minxian County lies where the Loess Plateau of central Long, the Gannan grasslands and the Longnan mountainous region meet. It is extremely rich in resources of medicinal plants, is known as the "home of medicinal herbs for a thousand years", and is a nationally famous principal producing area of authentic (daodi) medicinal materials, producing angelica, red astragalus (hongqi), astragalus, codonopsis and other precious medicinal materials in abundance. Angelica is sweet and pungent in taste and warm in nature; it enters the liver, heart and spleen channels. It has the effects of nourishing and quickening the blood, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, moistening the intestines and relaxing the bowels, and breaking up stasis to generate the new; it is called the "sacred medicine for women's diseases". Minxian angelica has enjoyed since ancient times the reputation that "of all angelica under heaven, China's is the finest; of all angelica in China, Minxian's is the finest". Angelica is a three-year plant, with a growing period of more than 700 days. The cultivation and processing of Minxian angelica follows one complete technical process: through the techniques of harvesting, smoking, bundling, seedling raising and seed retention, the process steps of seed gathering, seedling raising, forming the finished drug, seed retention, smoking and baking, and processing are carried out; traditional methods are still used in a series of key links. Angelica is transplanted from late March to mid-April; the grower must choose superior plots, apply farmyard manure, strengthen field management, loosen the soil in good time to conserve moisture, and take strict precautions against diseases and pests. The period after Frost's Descent is the best season for digging up angelica; some ten-odd days before harvest the leaves are cut off, so as to increase the plant's active constituents. Seedlings are raised around the Beginning of Summer: the plot is a cool, shaded patch of uncultivated land on the hillside, wood ash is spread over it, and a fine grass cover is laid to give shade; around the Mid-Autumn Festival the seedlings are lifted, and with soil still attached to the roots they are tied into bundles and stored in cellars. Mature angelica of the current year's planting is retained for seed; when the plants bolt and the seed ripens in the second year, they are cut, tied into bundles, and hung under the eaves to dry naturally, ready for use. The processing of angelica is divided into two kinds, rough processing and preparation (paozhi). Rough processing distinguishes whole angelica, angelica head and boxed angelica; preparation cuts the crude drug into prepared slices (yinpian) for the production of traditional Chinese patent medicines and for clinical use. The common prepared slices include whole angelica, angelica head, angelica body, angelica tail, wine-processed angelica, soil-fried angelica and charred angelica. Minxian County's annual planting area of angelica exceeds 210,000 mu, yielding more than 40,000 tons of angelica. Angelica processed by the traditional technique can be stored for a long time, with its volatile oil and active constituents well preserved. The practitioners of this heritage project are the inheritors engaged in the traditional processing of angelica and the associated medicinal-plant farmers throughout the county. The cultivation and processing of angelica has a long history and is an indispensable part of the study of Minxian County's history. The high-quality angelica produced through the Minxian traditional processing technique provides an important material foundation for the practice of traditional medicine.
Archival record of process steps
The cultivation and processing of Minxian angelica follows one complete technical process: through the techniques of harvesting, smoking, bundling, seedling raising and seed retention, the process steps of seed gathering, seedling raising, forming the finished drug, seed retention, smoking and baking, and processing are carried out; traditional methods are still used in a series of key links.
Lifting after frost with leaves cut ahead
The roots come up after the frost descends, and the tops are cut a dozen days beforehand so the active constituents stay in the root.
Sowing seedlings at the start of summer and lifting them at mid-autumn
Seedlings are raised on half-shaded new land with ash and fine grass, lifted around mid-autumn with soil attached, bundled and stored in a kiln over winter until transplanting.
Smoke-drying over bean stalk and grass
Drying over bean stalks and grasses gives low heat and long smoke, an even colour, well preserved volatile oil and a long shelf life.
Sorting the crude drug into grades
The crude drug is sorted by size and part into whole root, head-only and boxed grades, and the grade decides both clinical use and price.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The distribution of the Minxian Angelica Processing Technique overlaps closely with the planting area; the eighteen townships including Xizhai Town, Qingshui Town and Shili Town are its principal territory. The local fields are layered by altitude: the practice of retaining seed on high ground and planting the crop on gentle slopes allows seed retention and production to be carried out in separate places. Harvesting, smoking and bundling are mostly done in courtyards within the villages; within a household, the men on one side and the women and children on the other divide the work according to the process steps, and during smoking and baking they tend the fire and turn the stacks through the night, so that the whole stack of angelica dries evenly. Beyond the technique itself, the angelica trade, warehousing and agricultural calendar of Minxian County are interlinked and mutually expressive: seed-retaining households, processing households and medicine purchasers each occupy one link of the chain, and none may overstep its link; this division of labour in turn fixes the methods of smoking and slicing firmly in place.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques · Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques · Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques · Traditional Herbal Processing Techniques · Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship · Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship · Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship · Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship · Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship · Zhongyao Herbal Processing Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Angelica is dried mainly by smoking it over bean stalks, firewood and straw, which better protects the active constituents of the root. The Minxian Angelica Processing Technique is transmitted mainly between villages through oral instruction and heart-to-heart teaching, and through training run by technical departments; scientific research institutes at all levels, institutions of higher education and local scientific and technical service bodies have also devoted themselves continuously to research on and the extension of angelica cultivation. The transmission and development of this technique also help to mine the essence of traditional medical culture, to strengthen cultural confidence, and to give impetus to rural revitalisation and the construction of a "Healthy China".
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wang Xiaotao 01-0206
- Jin Shiyuan 01-0207
- Sun Shuwu 03-1440
- Li Chengjie 03-1441
- Wang Junliang 05-2925
- Li Mingyan 05-2927
- Yuan Xiaoping 05-2928
- Hu Changjiang 05-2929
- Chen Baizhong
- Kang Mingxuan
- Xiao Yongqing
- Zhang Yisheng
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回 英文名录。