We have recently been to the Laoshan Mountain with the experts from Laoshan District Community Health Service Center to “hunt treasures”. Within 6 hours, we have found a total of 50 kinds of Chinese herbal medicine in this remote mountain. Many of them are medicinal plants unique to Laoshan Mountain. According to the experts, among over 1,700 kinds of vascular plants exist in Shandong Province, over 1,400 of them grow on Laoshan Mountain, and around 1,100 kinds are plants of medicinal value.

    Laoshan is a reservoir of herb medicine

    Wang Xiuai acted as the team leader of the “herbal medicine hunting” in the remote mountain. Born in a family of traditional Chinese medicine, Wang Xiuai learned about Chinese herbal medicine at a very young age. She is familiar with every kind of Chinese herbal medicine as if they are her family valuables.

    Wang Xiuai said: “Many people know that Laoshan Mountain has fabulous scenery. In fact, Laoshan Mountain is a treasury of traditional Chinese medicine.” Because of plentiful rainfall, temperate climate, complex terrains and evident microclimate areas, the area near Taiqing Palace is reputed as “Little Jiang Nan” where there are many subtropical plants. North of Jufeng is named “Little Guandong” where many plants of northeast botany grow. A semi-moist temperate area is formed because of the middle low mountainous area and moderate rainfall in the hill. Among the wild plants in Laoshan Mountain, there are many species unique to Shandong, such as Laoshan lily, Shandong anemone and Yantai delphinium. Among these plants, some of them can be used as herbal medicine all over the body, for other plants, their root or stem have important medicinal value.

    Interesting stories about herb medicine

    Wang Xiuai continued to tell the interesting stories about Chinese herbal medicine on the way to the Tai Qing scenic spot.

    Wang Xiuai said: “Each spring, many citizens like wild vegetables such as bitter herbs, Silene alba, mountain vegetables, all of which are Chinese herbal medicines.” Bitter herbs are named patrinia in traditional Chinese medicine and have the function of clearing away heat and toxic materials. Another wild vegetable is called oriental wormwood. It is a delicious food to mix it with flour after steaming. It is also a kind of herbal medicine and can treat icteric hepatitis. The scientific name of broom cypress is Kochia scoparia, the seed of which is called broom cypress fruit having the medicinal properties to treat dermatitis, eczema and haemorrhoids. Wang Xiuai continued saying: “The broom cypress fruit usually goes with fructus cnidii. They are a good match with similar functions. If your hand is bleeding because of cut, we usually use a frequently seen herbal medicine to stop bleeding. That is commonly known as Qi Qi Cai, called herba cepbalanoplosis segeti. It has an older sister named Circium japonicum. They resemble each other with similar functions.”

    There are also herbal medicines contradictory or inconsistent with other herbs. An herbal medicine named black false hellebore is incompatible with all ginseng plants.

    One surprise followed by another on the way of exploration

    After 1 hour, we finally arrived at the Taiqing Scenic Spot. Then we started to ascend stone stairs to hunt for indigenous herbal medicines on Laoshan Mountain. A profusion of large leaves grew on a long vine. Wang Feng, who is a doctor, recognized that this was the root of kudzu vine. Very soon, the experts found many herbal medicines including wild jasmine, garden brunet, and bunge cherry seed. Wang Xiuai picked a piece of day lily and told us that day lily is also called carefree grass, it can not be eaten raw but it can be used as medicine after it is dried to relieve cough and reduce sputum. We also saw Pteridium aquilinum, which has the function of invigorating the stomach and activating the spleen. A few forest rangers heard that doctors came to the mountain to look for herbal medicine, so they came over and guided us to successfully find Platycodon grandiflorum, commonly known as “Laoshan Ginseng”. Shao Guizhen，who is a doctor, said: “Platycodon grandiflorum usually comes into bloom in July or August and can cure pharyngitis and swelling.” Besides the bushes, we also found a radix polygonati officinalis. According to Shao Guizhen, its root can be cut into pieces and drunk as a hot beverage after drying, which has the effect of slaking thirst and helping produce saliva.

    A “Enthusiast of Traditional Chinese Medicine” led us to hunt for “treasures”

    When the native resident named Qu Xinchun in Qingshan Community knew that experts came into the mountain to look for herbal medicine, they came over from home. “At the age of 8, I started to go deep into the mountain for mowing. I fell in love with herbal medicine as a child. In the past 16 years, I come into the mountain to hunt for herbs every day. I want to show you the treasures hidden in Laoshan Mountain.”

    On a small path leading to the mountain, a 1-meter long green snake slipped behind our reporter and some of them screamed in fear. Qu Xinchun said with a smile: “We are used to it. Usually there are snakes in the place where herbal medicine grows. This is Selaginella tamariscina. This is Hua Mu Lan. This is Paeonia veitchii. And also Clematis hexapetala var.tchefouensis. Look over here; this is our Laoshan lily unique to Qingdao. It has been listed as the directory of rare endangered plants.” To better conserve Laoshan lily, Qu Xinchun has specially transplanted a few Laoshan lily from other places. Under the guidance of Qu Xinchun, we went across many footpaths in the mountain and saw on the way many herbs including Radix Ophiopogonis, Rhizoma Drynariae, Chinese pennisetum, hairyvein agrimony, wild honeysuckle and even Yandai delphinium to everyone’s joy, which is a unique kind of flower from Shandong Province.

    Afterwards, Qu Xinchun led us to tramp over hills and dales and found more Laoshan herbal medicines. The large variety overwhelmed us and even Wang Xiuai felt astounded.

    Laoshan will promote the culture of traditional Chinese herbal medicine

    According to the management bureau of the Laoshan Mountain Scenic Spot, except for scientific research, sampling for student fieldwork, and other special permitted use, it is forbidden to pick any plant in the spot. They have patrols every day.

    According to Cai Xuemin，the director of Laoshan Community Health Service Center, who said: “For favorable climate and landform, the herbal medicine from Laoshan is very famous outside, including the red-rooted salvia, radix polygonati officinalis, radix bupleuri, asarum, garden burnet and Laoshan lily. These herbs are more effective in function than those from other regions.”

    According to Laoshan District, after launching the 2nd traditional Chinese medicine culture festival, the Laoshan District will keep advocating the traditional Chinese medicine culture, promoting free acupoint exercise and eight trigrams boxing, and guide residents to improve their level of health maintenance with traditional Chinese medicine.