Chinese herbal medicine boosts Wufeng’s growth
2023-10-23 18:10:07
By Ma Yuhan, Yichang International Communication Studio
Villagers in Wufeng have found success in growing plants for Chinese herbal medicine. One such product is Chinese gall (known in China as wubeizi, 五倍子).
Over 80 percent of the world's Chinese gall production comes from inside of China, and Wufeng is recognized as the core production area within the country.
Today, Wufeng consists of nearly 14,000 hectares of commercial Chinese gall forests. As autumn arrives in Wufeng, the hills are blanketed with sumac trees. These trees are covered with red and green fruits known as "little bumps" or "jiaobei" in Chinese, which is processed to make Chinese gall.
Villagers in Wufeng have found success in growing plants for Chinese herbal medicine. One such product is Chinese gall (known in China as wubeizi, 五倍子).
Over 80 percent of the world's Chinese gall production comes from inside of China, and Wufeng is recognized as the core production area within the country.
Today, Wufeng consists of nearly 14,000 hectares of commercial Chinese gall forests. As autumn arrives in Wufeng, the hills are blanketed with sumac trees. These trees are covered with red and green fruits known as "little bumps" or "jiaobei" in Chinese, which is processed to make Chinese gall.
"Jiaobei" fruit, which is the raw material of Chinese gall. Photo by Hu Peng.
Chinese gall, a traditional Chinese medicine, has a history of use tracing back to over 1,400 years ago. It is primarily used for treating diarrhea, constipation, bleeding, and coughs.
It is the harvest season for Chinese gall, and farmers in Maoping Village are busy collecting the fruit into baskets.
In the Chaofeng Chinese Gall Planting Professional Cooperative, the freshly picked fruits undergo the processes of steaming, boiling, and drying.
This year, the cooperative has expanded its Chinese gall cultivation area to over 93 hectares, and the annual output value is expected to reach 7.16 million yuan (US$978,000).
Xiong Yifeng, the leader of the cooperative, has developed a multi-layered planting system. This involves planting medicinal herbs beneath the sumac trees while raising bees in the same forests.
This cultivation method maximizes space utilization, improves soil fertility for the trees, facilitates the growth of medicinal herbs, and provides high-quality nectar sources for the bees.
The multi-layered planting system. Photo by Hu Peng.
