The Third Hunan (Lianqiao) Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Expo Kicks Off in Shaodong

The Third Hunan (Lianqiao) Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Expo was recently held at Lianqiao Pharmaceutical Industrial Science and Technology Park in Shaodong county-level city, Shaoyang. At the opening ceremony, 18 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) projects were signed, with a total contract value of CNY 1.451 billion.　

The expo adopts a "main venue + market area" exhibition model, attracting more than 500 companies from across the country. The event showcases the comprehensive development achievements of the traditional Chinese medicine industry chain.

The Expo

Photo by the Publicity Department of the CPC Shaodong Municipal Committee

Shaodong is known as the "Hometown of Chinese Scented Solomon's Seal" and the "Hometown of Chinese Traditional Medicinal Materials". The region boasts more than 2,000 varieties of Chinese medicinal herbs, including more than 200 nationally recognized key plant species, cultivated across more than 200,000 mu of land. Lianqiao has become the largest distribution center for authentic medicinal materials in central and southern China, hosting over 1,500 herbal medicine stores and generating an annual transaction volume approaching CNY 10 billion. Shaodong is a leading producer and seller of key medicinal plants such as Scrophularia ningpoensis, Leopard lily, Eucommia ulmoides, and Houpoea officinalis, consistently ranking among the top nationwide.

Shaodong has actively seized the growth momentum of Hunan Province's CNY 100 billion TCM industry. The city has fully embraced the "Chinese medicinal materials + big health" strategy, driving cluster development within the TCM industry. It has cultivated over 70 Chinese herbal medicine processing enterprises and built the Lianqiao Pharmaceutical Industrial Science and Technology Park, a high-standard facility with a total investment of CNY 6.8 billion. This has fostered a comprehensive industrial ecosystem covering fields like Chinese herbal medicine pieces, Chinese patent medicines, and medical devices.

In recent years, Shaoyang has encouraged Chinese medicinal herb planting and processing enterprises to pursue collective development and establish supply and marketing partnerships with countries involved in the development of the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2024, the city achieved a breakthrough in starting the exports of four medicinal materials: soft-leafed honeysuckle, lily, scented Solomon's seal, and Polygonatum sibiricum.