Traditional TCM Preparation Methods

01 · Historical Records

In the twentieth year of the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty (1894), the Deyitang pharmacy was opened in Jiangzhou town, Shanxi. The Dianshewan preparation technique originated from imperial court medicine of the Qing dynasty; it is explicitly recorded in the Xinjiang County Gazetteer. In 1861, the technique was passed from Eunuch Wang of the Qing imperial palace to the Han family. In 1956, descendants of the Hao family invested all the equipment and capital of Deyitang in a joint public-private enterprise, and at the same time donated the two secret formulas of the Dianshewan preparation technique and the Xiao'er Qizhen pills to the state without compensation.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The Dianshewan preparation technique, a traditional Chinese pharmaceutical method, is practiced mainly in the area of Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province. Taking advantage of Jiangzhou's status as a commercial hub, Deyitang's Dianshewan and other medicines were sold as far as Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, Hebei and Inner Mongolia, enjoying wide renown. Dianshewan sales now cover the whole country. Dianshewan, also known as "Meihua Dianshe Dan" (Plum Blossom Tongue-Dotting Elixir), is a traditional Chinese medicine with the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain; it is used for the early stages of various sores and boils, unexplained swellings and toxins, nail-like boils and boils on the back, and painful breast abscesses. Deyitang's Dianshewan preparation technique is remarkable in its combination of ingredients, distinctive in its process and classical in its methods. Its formula is composed of numerous precious and toxic medicinal materials, including cattle gallstone (niuhuang), musk, saffron, dragon's blood and toad venom. Ten pills weigh 1.25 grams; the dose is small and the effect rapid. It is used mainly for unexplained swellings and toxins, taking effect within a day or half a day after being taken. Whether taken internally or applied externally, it has a marked effect. It is described in detail in the book Explanations of Chinese Medicine Formula Names, compiled by Zhao Cunyi. The Dianshewan preparation technique involves complex process steps, including procurement and cleaning, processing and proportioning of ingredients, seed-building and pill forming, coating and polishing, and a whole series of procedures. Great attention is paid to the control of heat, temperature and time. The pill-forming of Dianshewan is done purely by hand. Historically the outer coating of the pills was pure gold; today they are produced with a cinnabar-red coating, glossy as a pearl, lustrous and crystalline, which both seals the medicinal properties well and fully displays the preciousness of the medicine. The Han family passed it to their nephew, the Hao family. The Hao family founded the Deyitang pharmacy and in turn passed the secret formula and the processing technique to their two sons. The Dianshewan preparation technique has a long history, handed down from generation to generation in both the court and among the people; it is a component of Chinese medicine culture.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Dianshewan in Jiangzhou town is a line that flowed from the court into the pharmacy. In 1861 Eunuch Wang of the Qing imperial palace passed the formula to the Han family, who passed it in turn to their nephew the Hao family; in the twentieth year of the Guangxu era (1894) the Hao family opened the Deyitang pharmacy in Jiangzhou town and divided the secret formula and the processing technique between their two sons, and the family line spread out from there. In 1956 the descendants of the Hao family, together with their equipment, entered a joint public-private enterprise, and donated the two secret formulas of Dianshewan and the Xiao'er Qizhen pills to the state without compensation; the hand-to-hand method thereafter continued through master-to-apprentice transmission. Taking advantage of Jiangzhou's position as a commercial hub, Deyitang's medicines were sold as far as Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, Hebei and Inner Mongolia, with both procurement and sales opening up at either end, and the name of Deyitang traveled with the goods throughout the northwest and the Central Plains.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

The blending of precious and fine ingredients is the core of its formula; it is currently a state-classified secret formula, with the master formula held in the hands of the inheritor. The technique has since been transmitted to the present day through master-to-apprentice instruction. This technique vividly puts into practice and validates traditional Chinese medical theory, embodying the outstanding wisdom and creativity of Chinese medicine practitioners down the ages; it carries historical, cultural and practical value.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Yan Zhenghua 01-0208
• Zhang Boli 01-0209
• Yang Jukui 03-1442
• Li Yingjie 03-1443
• Liu Huiwu 04-1941
• Laosanshen 04-1942
• Yang Fuan 04-1943
• Xia Xiaozhong 04-1944
• Guo Yufeng 05-2930
• Li Yanyu 05-2931
• Gao Qiang 05-2932
• Ma Weidong 05-2933
• Liu Wenwei 05-2934
• Wang Yanming 05-2936
• Liu Baisheng 05-2937
• Yu Baitang 05-2938
• Liao Zhizhong 05-2939
• Ke Shuquan 05-2940
• Yin Shurong 05-2941
• Zhang Yuankun 05-2942
• Ma Xubin 05-2943
• Ma Xianghai
• Song Shidun
• Wang Feng
• Gu Wanxia
• Du Xinlei

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Traditional TCM Preparation Methods (Xinjiang, Shanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗