Formula · Liù Wèi Dì Huáng Wán
Six Flavor Rehmanni
六味地黄丸
A foundational herbal formula of the "kidney yin" tradition, more often discussed in households as a daily tonic than as a medicine.
PCMWiki
A cultural companion to traditional Chinese patent medicines, written for the curious Western reader.
For cultural and educational reference only · Not medical advice · No purchase links
Why this site
We gather scattered traditional knowledge, translate it, and restore its context.
What is
中成药 (Zhong Cheng Yao)
中成药 (Zhong Cheng Yao) are factory-made traditional Chinese patent medicines: standardized herbal formulas based on classical recipes, combining several botanical, mineral, or animal-derived ingredients into shelf-stable forms such as pills, powders, and syrups. They are part of China's living medical tradition. This encyclopedia documents them as cultural and historical objects, not as prescriptions.
No products soldNo affiliate linksNo medical adviceHand-edited, not generated
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Formula catalog
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A small, hand-picked catalog of iconic 中成药. Each entry explains what it is, where it comes from, and how it is traditionally discussed.
Concern entry
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Western-relatable entry points (sleep, stress, digestion and more) that bridge to medicines traditionally used in those contexts. Reference only, never a prescription.
Pattern entry
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TCM patterns (证型) explain why seemingly unrelated formulas are connected. A horizontal aggregation tag, not a diagnosis, not a prescription.
Featured
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Formula · Xiāo Yáo Wán
Free and Easy Wanderer
逍遥丸
A "liver-spleen harmonizing" formula whose Chinese name literally means "carefree and at ease", and which is one of the most discussed remedies for low mood and irritability in Chinese households.
Formula · Huò Xiāng Zhèng Qì
Agastache Qi-Correcting
藿香正气水
A traditional "summer-damp" formula, widely carried in Chinese households for travel and the hot, sticky season, typically reached for at the first sign of digestive unease or "summer cold".
Formula · Bǔ Zhōng Yì Qì Wán
Center-Supplementing, Qi-Boosting
补中益气丸
A "spleen-and-stomach tonifying, qi-raising" formula with a long history of use for fatigue, post-illness weakness, and the kind of tiredness that does not feel fully physical.
Editorial principles
We document a culture, not a recommendation.
Faithful to source
We return to original formulas and historical sources. We do not invent ingredients.
Acknowledge limits
We say "traditionally used for", never "treats".
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