Ya Lian

Ya Lian

Ya Lian is a protected geographical indication product.

　　"Ya Lian," the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is a variety of Huang Lian (Coptis chinensis), also known as Emei Lian, Jiading Lian, or Cigai Lian. It refers to the dried rhizome shown in Figure 1, the finished product image of Ya Lian.

　　It comes from the plant Coptis deltoidea, a dried rhizome. As a product with a National Geographical Indication of China, it is a specialty of the Hongya County and Emei area in Sichuan Province. Due to its extremely demanding geographical requirements, it is considered a premium variety among the Huang Lian herbs. Its medicinal efficacy surpasses the other two varieties, "Wei Lian" and "Yun Lian." Throughout history, Ya Lian has been offered as a tribute to the imperial court’s Imperial Medical Bureau, hence it is also called "Gong Lian" (Tribute Lian). Hongya County has a documented history of over 1,300 years as a tribute Ya Lian production region, and has cultivated domesticated Ya Lian for more than 500 years. According to *Compendium of Materia Medica* and *Modern Chinese Materia Medica*, the Huang Lian grown around Wawu Mountain in Hongya’s Shawu area is classified as "Ya Lian" or "Chuan Ya," particularly those from towns like Gaomiao and Wawu Mountain, which are considered authentic and of superior quality. They are well-known both domestically and internationally, and are popular exports to Southeast Asia and Africa. Hongya is thus hailed as the "Hometown of Ya Lian."

　　Biological Characteristics

　　　　"Ya Lian" is the dried Figure 2 Coptis deltoidea rhizome of the plant Coptis deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao.

　　The rhizome of Coptis deltoidea, which belongs to the family Ranunculaceae and genus Coptis, features a yellow rhizome that is mostly unbranched or sparsely branched, with distinct internodes and many fine roots densely growing on it. It also has creeping rhizomes that grow horizontally. The plant has 3–11 leaves; the leaf blade is ovate in outline, slightly leathery, reaching up to 16 cm in length and 15 cm in width. It is tripartitely divided, and each division has a distinct petiole. The central division is triangular-ovate, 3–12 cm long and 3–10 cm wide, with an acute or acuminate apex, and is 4–6 times pinnately deeply lobed. The deep lobes are somewhat adjacent to one another, with extremely sharp serrations along the edges. The lateral divisions are obliquely ovate-triangular, 3–8 cm long, unequally bifid, with short pubescence or nearly glabrous along the veins on the surface, glabrous on the back, and with raised veins on both sides. The petiole is 6–18 cm long and glabrous. There are 1–2 scapes, slightly longer than the leaves; the inflorescence is a many-branched cyme with 4–8 flowers. The bracts are linear-lanceolate, with three deep lobes or pectinately pinnately deeply lobed. The sepals are yellow-green, narrowly ovate, 8–12.5 mm long and 2–2.5 mm wide, with an acuminate apex. There are about 10 petals, nearly lanceolate, 3–6 mm long and 0.7–1 mm wide, with an acuminate apex, slightly widened in the middle, and possessing a nectar pit. There are about 20 stamens, only about half as long as the petals; the anthers are yellow, and the filaments are narrowly linear. There are 9–12 carpels, with slightly curved styles. The follicles are oblong-ovoid, 6–7 mm long, with a style base 7–8 mm long, covered with fine pubescence. The plant flowers from March to April and fruits from April to June.

　　Medicinal Material Characteristics

　　　　Ya Lian (*Bencao Congxin*), also known as Emei Lian, Jiading Lian, or Cigai Lian, is the dried rhizome of the plant Coptis deltoidea. Most are single stems, with few branches, slightly cylindrical, slightly curved resembling a silkworm, about 4–8 cm in length and 3–9 mm in diameter. The exterior is brown or yellow-brown, with many intermittent transverse striations, distinct nodes, numerous remnants of fibrous roots, petiole bases, and scales. "Guojiang Zhi" (crossing branches) are fewer compared to Wei Lian. The texture is firm; the cross-section is irregular, with a dark brown cortex, deep yellow xylem, prominent rays, and sometimes a hollow pith. It is odorless but extremely bitter in taste. The best quality Ya Lian is robust, bead-like, firm in texture, with a yellow cross-section, free of residual stems and fibrous roots.

　　Medicinal Properties

　　　　Ya Lian contains alkaloids such as berberine, coptisine, methylcoptisine, and palmatine, and can treat conditions such as acute conjunctivitis, acute bacterial dysentery, acute gastroenteritis, hematemesis, boils, and abscesses. It has the effect of clearing heat and drying dampness, used for damp-heat diarrhea and dysentery, and can be used alone or in Xiang Lian Pills. It is also used in treatments like Yin Chen Hao Tang for damp-heat jaundice. It has fire-purging effects, used for irritability and insomnia due to excessive heart fire or high fever and restlessness in febrile diseases, as well as delirium, such as in Huang Lian Jie Du Tang. For treating irritability and insomnia due to yin or blood deficiency, as in Huang Lian E Jiao Tang; for hematemesis or epistaxis caused by blood heat, as in Xie Xin Tang; for stomach heat-induced vomiting, as in Zuo Jin Wan. It has detoxifying properties, used for treating abscesses, mouth ulcers, and sore throat, and can be taken internally or applied externally. Decocted liquid can also be used as eye drops to treat red and swollen eyes.

　　Geographical Conditions

　　　　Hongya County is located on the southwestern edge of the Sichuan Basin, within the triangle formed by Chengdu, Leshan, and Ya’an. The terrain is mainly mountainous and hilly, often described as "seven parts mountain, two parts water, and one part field." The favorable natural geographical conditions and long history of Ya Lian cultivation provide excellent conditions for its production and development. In 2008, the planting area of Ya Lian in Hongya County was 2,100 hectares, with an annual output value of 90 million yuan, making it China’s largest production and sales base for Ya Lian. Hongya County vigorously promotes pollution-free cultivation techniques for Ya Lian, having established a complete set of local agricultural standards including the *Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Standard for Ya Lian* and the *Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Production Technical Regulations for Ya Lian*, and has developed 2,000 hectares of Ya Lian cultivation bases.

　　Cultivation History

　　　　Historically, Hongya’s "Ya Lian" once dominated the market, accounting for over 40% of the national Huang Lian sales volume for a long time. According to data reported by the county government in 1939 (the 28th year of the Republic of China), the annual production of "Ya Lian" was 2,500 kg, increasing to 5,000 kg the following year. On the eve of liberation, due to economic hardship, the production dropped to 1,000 kg. After liberation, the People’s Government emphasized the production of "Ya Lian," designating Heilin Village and Heishan Village in Gaomiao Township of Wawu Mountain, a suitable growing area for Ya Lian, as a dedicated cultivation zone. Various preferential policies were provided to growers, leading to a year-by-year increase in production, reaching 29,000 kg by 1978.

　　Endangered Status

　　　　Due to factors such as Ya Lian’s requirement for high-altitude growth (above 1,700 meters), strict soil requirements (high-altitude mountain yellow-brown soil rich in humus), long crop rotation cycles (over 20 years without planting any Huang Lian-related plants), long cultivation period (5–6 years), and difficulty in pest and disease control (mainly root rot), Ya Lian has low yields and is difficult to cultivate. This has driven farmers to migrate from high-altitude areas to plains, leaving high-altitude regions increasingly uninhabited. These factors have led to Ya Lian becoming an endangered and rare species. From an economic perspective, since "Wei Lian" requires lower cultivation conditions than "Ya Lian," has a shorter harvest cycle, higher yield, and better economic returns, many farmers have switched to growing "Wei Lian." By 1981, the planting area of "Wei Lian" in the production region had exceeded that of "Ya Lian" by three times. In 1986, the county planted only 357 mu of Ya Lian, compared to 3,122 mu of Wei Lian. Subsequently, Ya Lian production declined year by year. In 1992, the total Huang Lian planting area in the county was 2,510 mu, with Ya Lian accounting for only 5 mu—less than 0.2%. That year’s total Huang Lian purchase amounted to 16,010 kg, with only 1,200 kg being Ya Lian.

　　Geographical Indication Product Protection

　　　　In 2008, after review by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, it was decided to implement national geographical indication product protection for "Ya Lian."

　　Protected Area

　　　　The protected area for Ya Lian as a geographical indication product is based on the scope proposed in the *Recommendation on the Delimitation of the Protected Geographical Indication Area for Ya Lian* (Hong Fu Han [2008] No. 57) issued by the People’s Government of Hongya County, Sichuan Province. It includes the administrative regions of seven townships in Hongya County: Wawushan Town, Gaomiao Town, Taoyuan Township, Liujiang Town, Caoiyutan Town, Huaxi Town, and Dongyue Town.