Yao Customs
01 · Historical Records
Yaowang (Medicine King) fairs are a type of traditional temple fair, and they appeared as early as the Tang dynasty. In Zhangshu, medicine stalls first appeared during the Three Kingdoms period; in the Tang dynasty a medicinal-herb market ground was laid out; by the Song dynasty a full medicine market had taken shape; in the Ming dynasty it earned the name 'Medicine Wharf' (Yaomatou); and after the Qing dynasty began, Zhangshu became the 'place where medicinal materials from north and south, Sichuan and Guang all converge.' During the Republican era (1912-1949), traditional Chinese medicine was restricted and outlets for Chinese medicinal materials were cut off, so both the production of and trade in medicinal materials declined; even so, Zhangshu still managed to maintain its position as the principal overall market for medicinal materials of the entire province.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Medicine markets are periodic trading fairs held at long-established centers for the collection and distribution of Chinese medicinal materials. More than 110 such collection and distribution centers formed over successive dynasties; among them, the ones with broad influence nationwide, complete functions in gathering, cultivation, processing, and use, large distribution volumes, and brisk trade are Anguo, Zhangshu, Baiquan, and Yucheng, known as the 'Four Great Medicine Markets.' The famous physician Sun Simiao is the patron deity of the traditional Chinese medicine trade, revered as the 'Medicine King' (Yaowang). Temple fairs centered on the worship of the Medicine King are called 'Medicine King Fairs' (Yaowanghui); most well-known medicine markets developed out of Medicine King Fairs, while others originated in plain market trade in medicinal materials. Apart from trading in medicinal materials, each medicine market developed its own folk customs - trading rules, sacrificial rites, opera performances, and entertainments - drawing participation and spectatorship from the general public beyond the traders themselves and making the medicine market an influential local venue for popular gatherings. Zhangshu City lies in central Jiangxi Province, on the southern edge of the Poyang Lake Plain; since ancient times it has been 'a strategic passage linking eight provinces and a bustling commercial center of central Jiangxi.' The practitioners, known as the 'Zhangbang' guild, maintained strict guild rules and constantly refined their skills in processing and preparing Chinese medicinal materials, giving rise to the distinctive folk customs of Zhangshu medicine. To this day, the medicine industry remains one of the pillar industries of Zhangshu's economy.
The ritual sequence of the medicine king fair
A temple-fair rite centred on the trade's deity, combining worship with theatre and games.
Guild rules and processing routines
The Zhangbang guild is known for strict rules governing storage, sorting, cutting and steaming of herbs.
Medicinal diet and the faith of the herb trade
Trade rules, processing skills, diet and worship are interwoven in the Zhangshu customs.
The national medicinal materials fair
The yearly gathering that put Zhangshu on the map as the southern hub of the national herb trade.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
In addition, other famous physicians in history have been revered as the 'Medicine King' in particular regions. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zhangshu held a national medicinal materials and drugs trade fair once every year; the breadth of participating regions, the number of attendees, and the variety and value of transactions all ranked first among the northern and southern medicinal-material markets of the country. The name of Zhangshu as the 'Capital of Medicine' (Yaodu) thus gradually rose, and it is held in high esteem by pharmaceutical colleagues at home and abroad. The folk customs of Zhangshu medicine cover many aspects, including medicinal-material trading practices, the processing and preparation of Chinese medicine, medicinal cuisine, and beliefs related to the medicine trade; as a regional culture, their historical and cultural value cannot be overlooked.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Anguoyao · Yao Customs · Yao Customs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The value of the folk customs of Zhangshu medicine can be viewed on three levels. In terms of trade, Zhangshu sits on the southern edge of the Poyang Lake Plain and has since ancient times been a strategic passage linking eight provinces and a bustling commercial center of central Jiangxi; medicinal materials from north and south, Sichuan and Guang converge here; the city gained the name 'Medicine Wharf' in the Ming dynasty, and after the Qing dynasty began it was further called the place where medicinal materials from north and south, Sichuan and Guang all gather. This sourcing network, derived from its location, is hard to replicate elsewhere. In terms of craft, the Zhangbang guild maintained strict rules, with established regulations for identifying, storing, and processing medicinal materials, and pursued ever finer preparation; its rigor is still treated as a benchmark by the medicine trade today. In terms of daily life, medicinal cuisine, beliefs related to the medicine trade, and seasonal food customs interpenetrate one another, and guild customs spread from the trade associations into the everyday routines of ordinary households. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhangshu held the national medicinal materials and drugs trade fair once a year; the breadth of participating regions, the number of attendees, and the variety and value of transactions all ranked first among the northern and southern medicinal-material markets nationwide; the name 'Capital of Medicine' thus gradually arose and is held in high esteem by pharmaceutical colleagues at home and abroad; and the medicine industry remains one of the pillar industries of Zhangshu's economy to this day. At present, the contraction of the medicine industry and changes in trading methods have made it difficult for the old rules of the Zhangbang to continue in full; the guild rules, mnemonic verses, and processing procedures compiled by the Zhangshu Medicine Customs Research Association have become the only surviving texts of the shared memory of the medicine merchants of this region.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhu Qingshan 05-2998
- Zhu Youzhou
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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