Snow Lotus in Jiuzhaigou

Snow Lotus in Jiuzhaigou

　　The snow lotus is a rare and precious medicinal herb found in crevices of rocks above 3,500 meters altitude in Jiuzhaigou County, where snow covers the ground year-round. It is called "snow lotus" due to its resemblance to a lotus flower. Tibetan locals classify the snow lotus into male and female varieties—reportedly, the female type can be eaten raw and has a sweet taste, while the male type tastes bitter. In plant taxonomy, snow lotus is divided into two main subgenera: Saussurea and Saussurea sect. Lomatopoda. The people of Jiuzhaigou often brew it as a tea for health benefits.

According to Zhao Xuemin, a renowned medical scholar of the Qing Dynasty, who noted in his book *Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica* that the snow lotus is highly hot in nature, capable of nourishing yin and boosting yang, treating all cold-related illnesses, and serving as an essential yang-invigorating herb. Its benefits include: treating cold-induced coughs, stomach disorders caused by cold, male impotence, poor eruption of measles in children, and gynecological conditions (such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, uterine prolapse, cold uterus leading to infertility); it also shows excellent efficacy against rheumatoid arthritis.