It is an arid, stony, barren county of limp crops. 

But Pingshun County of Changzhi city in the southern Taihang Mountains of Central China’s Shanxi Province is also home to dang shen, a Chinese herb not dissimilar to ginseng. 

The people of Pingshun have successfully seized on this lucrative advantage to develop a traditional Chinese medicine industry and lifted themselves out of extreme poverty, according to city agricultural officials.

Herbal revolution 

Deep in the Taihang Mountains, the Chexiang Valley of Qingyang Township abounds with stacked terraces of herbs.

Traditional Chinese medicine herbs plantation in Pingshun County, Central China’s Shanxi Province. (Photo: Shanxi Daily)

“The altitude, temperature, and soil conditions here are very suitable for Chinese medicine plantation," says Li Jun, head of a Chinese medicine company.

The company has built a demonstration park to cultivate wild herbal resources and carry out a standardized transformation.

Some 73 traditional Chinese medicines are being grown and 23 promoted, benefiting eight villages and 4,754 villagers. 

Some 1,715 villagers have seen their per capita income increase annually by 4,500 yuan (648 USD), the officials say. 

“My family transferred half the land to the company and we work for the company for four to five months a year with a monthly income of 2,000 yuan,” says Lujiakou villager Wang Ailing. 

“My family got rid of poverty in 2018. I’m very satisfied with my life.”

The other half was devoted to Chinese thorowax root for an annual turnover of 8,000 yuan.

Village cooperative 

Fotangling in northwest Longxi Township had 238 extremely poor villagers in 2014. They grew limp corn and millet for a living. 

Fotangling branch Communist Party of China secretary Zhang Zhijian eyed dang shen as a potential route out of poverty and helped set up a cooperative. 

Today the village has nearly 20 hectares of dang shen, or Codonopsis pilosula, 30 times more than a decade ago. Total output last year was 75,000 kilos, raising more than 2 million yuan. 

Depending on market vagaries, dang shen typically fetches about 12.5 yuan a kilo. Chinese pharma firms have signed guaranteed purchase agreements with the cooperative. 

Workers process traditional Chinese medicine herbs at a Chinese medicine company in Pingshun County, Central China’s Shanxi Province. (Photo: Shanxi Daily) 

Quality improvement. With dang shen demand and yield relatively stabilized, the people of Pingshun are more focused latterly on quality.

In July, Dongzhang villagers can be found weeding. 

“Cutting leaves prevents the roots losing nutrients,” says Zhao Xueliang, village committee director. 

In 2015, Zhao returned home to Longxi Township after years of working outside and led establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine company, committing nearly 26.7 hectares to dang shen.

“Refined management and improved quality is needed for the dang shen industry to grow and improve,” Zhao says. 

A farmer plucks weeds in the village of Fotangling, Longxi Township, Pingshun County, Central China’s Shanxi Province. (Photo: Changzhi Daily)

Herbs are planted, managed and organized by size, grade and season to meet market demand.

Sales should hit 3 million yuan this year, Zhao says.

"We’re planning to produce processed products like ointments and oral liquids," Zhao says. “We have to maintain industrial competitiveness to achieve prosperity.”

Pingshun County today has about 42,000 hectares of Chinese medicinal herbs including its original dang shen. 

In 2019, the herbs increased the per capita income of 35,000 residents by 4,100 yuan each.

In February 2020, authorities declared the county officially rid of extreme poverty.

(Translated by Li Yiran, edited by Zhan Huilan and Yang Yang)