Fangzheng Pingbei

Fangzheng Pingbei

　　Fangzheng Pingbei

　　This product consists of dried bulbs from the lily family plant Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim., and is listed in the 1990 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.

　　Pingbei, also known as Pingbeimu or Beimu, is a type of medicinal fritillary bulb. The use of Beimu dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty’s “Shennong Bencao Jing” (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), where it was categorized as a medium-grade herb, described as "pungent in flavor, neutral in nature," and indicated for "cold damage with feverish restlessness, throat blockage, and difficult lactation..." During the Wei and Jin periods, the “Mingyi Bielu” (Supplementary Records of Eminent Physicians) recorded its use for "treating abdominal hardness, cough with upward qi rebellion, relieving feverish restlessness and thirst..." Later medical texts such as the “Yaoxing Lun” (Treatise on the Nature of Medicines), “Tang Bencao” (Tang Materia Medica), “Bencao Gangmu” (Compendium of Materia Medica), and “Zhiwu Mingzhi Tukao” (Illustrated Study of Plant Names and Realities) all documented the efficacy, harvesting, and origins of various Beimu varieties, though not specifically this one. The northeastern region has long had the tradition of using Pingbei to treat illnesses. By the mid-19th century, during the Xianfeng era, folk remedies such as "Beimu Pear" for treating lung heat-induced cough and wheezing were popular among the Han, Korean, Manchu, and Hui peoples in the northeast. By the early 20th century, pharmacies in Jilin City, such as "Shiyitang," were already trading in Pingbei and other herbs, which were then distributed inland via Yingkou and other ports. Thus, Pingbei began entering the domestic herbal medicine market, supplying medicinal needs across the country. (Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines)

　　Production Areas:

　　Wild Pingbei in China is mainly distributed in the mountainous regions of the Changbai Mountain Range and the southern part of the Xiaoxing’an Mountains in the northeast. It is primarily produced in Heilongjiang’s Shangzhi, Tieli, Wuyi, Yichun, Jiamusi, Muleng, Acheng, Bin County, Fangzheng, Tonghe, Yanshou, Dongning; Jilin’s Hunjiang, Huadian, Ji’an, Tonghua, Liuhe, Meihekou, Dunhua, Fusong, Changbai, Jingyu, Helong, Antu, Wangqing, Huinan, Yongji, Jiaohe, Shulan, Dongfeng; and Liaoning’s Kaiyuan, Qingyuan, Xinbin, Fushun, Kuandian, Donggou, Huanren, and Benxi. Most of it is cultivated, though it has also been introduced in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei. (Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines)