Customs of medicine market (Yuzhou Medicine Association)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: custom of medicine market (Yuzhou Medicine Association)

Applicant: Yuzhou City, Henan Province

Item No.: 508

Project No.: Ⅹ - 60

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Henan Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Yuzhou City, Henan Province

Protection unit: Yuzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

A brief introduction to the custom of medicine market (Yuzhou Medicine Association)

Applicant: Yuzhou City, Henan Province

The medicine market is a trade fair held regularly in the traditional Chinese medicine distribution centers with historical origins. There are more than 110 traditional Chinese medicine distribution centers formed in the past dynasties, among which there are extensive influence in the whole country. The four major medicine markets are Anguo, Zhangshu, Baiquan and Yucheng, with complete functions of collecting, planting, manufacturing and using, and large distribution volume.

Yaowang fair is a type of traditional temple fair, which appeared in Tang Dynasty. Sun Simiao, a famous doctor, is the God of traditional Chinese medicine and is respected as the "king of medicine". In addition, there were other famous doctors who were regarded as the "king of medicine" in a certain region in history. The temple fair with the king of medicine as the God of belief is called "the king of medicine fair". Most famous medicine markets developed from the king of medicine fair, and some originated from the market trade of medicinal materials.

In addition to the trading of medicinal materials, each pharmaceutical market has formed its own trading rules, sacrificial rites, opera performances, entertainment activities and other folk customs, which attract the participation and appreciation of the masses outside the traders, making the pharmaceutical market an influential local mass gathering place.

During the spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, Chinese herbal medicine trading activities appeared in Yuzhou, Henan Province. By the Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty, this kind of trading formed a large scale, so Yuzhou became one of the larger drug markets in the country. During the reign of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty, under the government's advocacy, the scale of Yuzhou medicine fair was further expanded, and drug merchants from all over the country joined hands and established medicine stores and post stores in Yuzhou, forming four markets of Chinese herbal medicine, decoction pieces, pill powder and mountain goods. By 1949, Yuzhou had 18 drugstores, 41 drugstores, 65 drug sheds and 22 traditional Chinese medicine halls, with 1487 employees, forming more than 20 guilds. Many guilds have been set up, among which Shanxi guilds, huaibang guilds, Jiangxi guilds and shisan guilds are well-known. Since then, Yuzhou has formed a relatively complete market category of traditional Chinese medicine business and management system, and on this basis formed a unique local pharmaceutical culture.

Yuzhou Chinese medicine trade conference is one of the six major Chinese medicine markets approved by the Ministry of health, the State Administration of Chinese medicine and the State Administration for Industry and commerce. Taking Yuzhou Pharmaceutical Association in 2004 as an example, 450 pharmaceutical companies participated in the meeting, with an annual turnover of 1 billion yuan. In recent years, due to the change of medicine trading mode and the promotion and application of informatization, networking and e-commerce, the traditional medicine trading mode of Yuzhou medicine Fair has been greatly impacted. It is expected that the relevant parties can take specific measures to protect this traditional medicine fair which has been popular for a long time.

Chinese PinYin : Yao Shi Xi Su Yu Zhou Yao Hui