Zhongjiang White Peony

Zhongjiang White Peony

Zhongjiang White Peony is a protected geographical indication product.

Zhongjiang White Peony is a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　Geographical Area

　　　Eighteen townships (towns) in Zhongjiang County, Sichuan Province, including Wadian Township, Fuxing Town, Jifeng Town, Gudian Township, Shiquan Township, Hexing Township, Nanhua Town, Jiqing Town, Xinglong Town, Nanshan Town, Qinghe Township, Yuelai Town, Yuxing Town, Yong’an Town, Huilong Town, Fengdian Town, Guangfu Town, and Wanfu Town.

　　Special Qualities

　　　　White peony is a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant of the Paeonia genus in the Ranunculaceae family. The root (mostly cultivated) is used for medicinal purposes. It was first recorded in the “Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica,” listed as a medium-grade herb. Volume I of the “Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China” (2000 edition) states that white peony has the effects of soothing the liver and relieving pain, nourishing blood and regulating menstruation, and astringing yin to stop sweating. It is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Research shows that the root contains paeoniflorin (3.3–5.7%) as the main active ingredient, along with small amounts of oxypaeoniflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin, paeonolide, paeoniflorigenone, and others. It can dilate coronary arteries, increase coronary blood flow, enhance myocardial SG uptake and coronary nutritive blood flow, inhibit platelet aggregation, lower blood pressure, induce sleep, and cause reflex loss, among other pharmacological effects. It is widely used clinically to treat conditions such as headaches, dizziness, chest and rib pain, tinnitus, irritability, diarrhea and abdominal pain, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, metrorrhagia, spontaneous sweating and night sweats, and diseases like hypertension and coronary heart disease caused by blood deficiency and hyperactive liver. In recent years, comparative studies between white peony and ginseng have found that both have anti-stress, anti-fatigue, sedative, memory-enhancing, neuroendocrine-regulating, anti-radiation, anti-hepatotoxic, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, white peony has been shown to be superior to ginseng in terms of sedation, hepatitis B treatment, and sleep improvement.

　　Cultural Background

　　　　The cultivation of Zhongjiang white peony has a long history. Zhongjiang County in Sichuan Province boasts superior natural climate and soil ecological conditions, conducive to the growth and development of medicinal herbs. With a long history of cultivation, rapid development, and significant influence both domestically and internationally, it has been a key authentic medicinal export commodity for the county. The cultivation of Zhongjiang white peony originated during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and was first documented in the 1812 edition of the “Zhongjiang County Annals” (Jiaqing version). In the second year of the Xuantong reign (1910), the county's medicinal herb exports earned 25,504 taels of silver. In 1912, the annual production of dried peony roots exceeded 100 tons. By 1926, 1,000 acres were planted with a total output of nearly 200 tons, which were exported overseas. In 1933, 1,133 acres were cultivated, yielding over 400 tons with an average output of 250 kg per acre, and more than 150 tons were exported. In 1949, 247 acres were planted, producing 52.75 tons at 214 kg per acre. In the summer of 1956, three botanical experts from the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Bulgaria visited Er’er Village in Jiqing, Zhongjiang, to study white peony production. In 1959, the former Shiyaxiang Commune established a white peony production team, also known as the “White Peony Farm.” In 1977, 1,472 acres were planted, yielding 804.8 tons with an average of 547 kg per acre, marking the highest yield per acre in the post-liberation era. In 1985, the area decreased to 530 acres, producing 150 tons at 283 kg per acre. In the mid-to-late 1980s, Japanese experts and merchants visited Zhongjiang multiple times for inspections and signed trade agreements. At that time, 85% of Zhongjiang white peony was exported to Japan, and the high-quality product gained a reputation across Southeast Asia, becoming an important resource for the county’s characteristic economic development. Local farmers in Zhongjiang have generations of experience in peony cultivation. Approved by Document No. 54 (1986) from the Sichuan Provincial Planning Commission, Health Bureau, and Economic and Trade Commission, Zhongjiang was designated as a white peony export base. The perennial planting area is around 3,000 acres, reaching over 5,000 acres in 1999 with a total output of more than 1,500 tons. By 2007, the area had grown to over 11,210 acres, with a total output of nearly 3,000 tons.