Family Common Ginseng Handbook

Author: Shen Pian'an
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The main production areas for ginseng are in cities and counties such as Huadian City, Dunhua City, Linjiang City, Jiaohe City, Fusong County, Jingyu County, Antu County, Huinan County, and Shulan County in Jilin Province. In the past, a large number of immigrants from Hebei and Shandong to the Northeast found that the closer they were to the main peak of Changbai Mountain, the more abundant and higher quality wild ginseng they could find. The further away from the main peak of Changbai Mountain, the fewer and lower quality the ginseng became. Ginseng produced in Jilin Province is called "Jilin Ginseng," while that produced in Liaoning Province is called "Liaoning Ginseng." The small Xing'an Mountains in Heilongjiang Province and the deep mountains in the northern part of Hebei Province are the foothills of Changbai Mountain and also produce ginseng. The northern mountains of the Korean Peninsula are also the foothills of Changbai Mountain, and the ginseng produced there is called "Korean Ginseng" or "Goryeo Ginseng." A small amount of cultivated ginseng is also grown in the southern part of the Ussuri River basin in Siberia, Russia, and in some parts of Hokkaido, Japan, within the longitudinal range of ginseng production. The Taihang Mountains are also within the latitudinal range of ginseng production. In ancient times, the upper part of Shanxi Province (Lucheng City) and the Jizhou area of Hebei Province may have had wild Panax ginseng and Codonopsis (Partyang Ginseng) from the Araliaceae and Campanulaceae families, respectively. Due to extensive and prolonged harvesting, wild ginseng in these two provinces has long been extinct. The ginseng currently harvested is Codonopsis, which resembles ginseng in appearance and function and is also used as ginseng. Ancient Chinese medical books only recorded ginseng and Partyang ginseng. Ginseng and Codonopsis were used as the same medicine until the Qing Dynasty, when they were distinguished as two different medicinal herbs. The origin of ginseng must be in Northeast China. In the field of traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying passed down through generations: "Ginseng grown outside the Great Wall is true ginseng; ginseng grown inside the Great Wall is just radish." Therefore, ginseng grown outside Northeast China is either low-quality or counterfeit. This has been recorded in ancient Chinese pharmacopoeia. Bencao Gangmu cites Tao Hongjing of the Southern Dynasties of the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, saying: "Korea is close to Liaodong, with large but soft and hollow ginseng, inferior to that of Baekje, and even inferior to that of Partyang." It also cites Chen Jiamo of the Ming Dynasty, saying: "Liaodong ginseng is yellow, smooth, slender, and has fine roots, known as 'yellow ginseng,' and is the best. Korean ginseng is close to purple and hollow. New ginseng is second to yellow and has a weak flavor." P8