Illustrated Investigation of the Names and Realities of Plants, Volume 7

Ginseng

In the Shuowen dictionary it is written as 𧂄; in the Guangya it is 蔘; and in common usage it is 參. These are variant characters for Panax ginseng. The author is citing ancient dictionaries to establish the plant's long history in Chinese scholarship.

Ginseng is listed as a "Superior Grade" herb in the Classic original: "Benjing," referring to the Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica (Shennong Bencao Jing), the oldest foundation of Chinese herbalism.. In ancient times, the varieties produced in Liaodong and Silla An ancient kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. were considered inferior to those from Shangdang A region in modern-day Shanxi Province. In antiquity, this was the primary source of ginseng, though the local species was eventually harvested to extinction.. Today, however, ginseng from Liaodong and Jilin is the most highly valued, with Silla ginseng ranking second. In the regions of Sanxing and Ningguta Areas in modern-day Heilongjiang Province., experimental harvesting has been attempted, but the yield is not very large. Those plants transplanted from seedlings are called "Seedling Ginseng" yangshen: seedlings moved to different soil, and those grown directly from seeds are called "Seed Ginseng" zishen: cultivated from seed. The medicinal potency of both these cultivated types is considered weak.

What is currently known as "Dang-shen" Codonopsis pilosula, or "Poor Man's Ginseng." is a climbing vine that looks very much like the shoots of the Ladybell original: "Shashen" (Adenophora)., though its root grows to over a foot long. It is common practice to use this as a substitute for true Ginseng, but this lacks rigorous scholarly verification.

I respectfully note that our Dynasty The Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), founded by the Manchus. originated at Changbai Mountain. As the ancient poems say of the ancestral lands: "The plains were rich and fertile, where even the bitterest herbs grew sweet" A classical allusion to the Book of Odes (Shijing), describing the blessed land of the Zhou ancestors; the author applies this sacred imagery to the Manchu homeland.. It is truly a mysterious and sacred realm of Heaven and Earth, the most fertile soil in all the nine provinces. Deep within the vast forests and lush grasses, a light is said to glow in the middle of the night: that light is the Ginseng.

By Imperial decree, the private digging of ginseng is a crime; the goods are confiscated and the person is punished. The government issues merchant licenses shangyin: official permits for regulated trade to pass through the border checkpoints to harvest in designated areas. Upon their return, the harvesters must submit their find to the authorities. The officials assess the quantity and quality of the ginseng and levy a tax. Once the taxes are settled, the roots are stored in the Imperial Household Department Neifu: the department managing the Emperor's personal treasury and palace supplies. The Department then grades the quality; those of the very highest grade are reserved for the Emperor’s use.