A "jian-pi he-wei, li-qi zhi-tong" (strengthen the spleen, harmonize the stomach, regulate qi, stop pain) formula from the Qing-dynasty "Golden Mirror of Medicine", the "qi-regulating" expansion of the classical Liu Jun Zi Tang.
Cultural reference - how this formula has been discussed in Chinese medical tradition. Not medical advice.
Background & origin
Compiled in the Qing-dynasty "Golden Mirror of Medicine" (《医宗金鉴》, 1742) as the "qi-regulating" expansion of Liu Jun Zi Tang, the addition of Aucklandia and Amomum addresses the "qi stagnation" and "dampness" that the original Six Gentlemen base only partially covers. In Japan, 香砂六君子湯 (こうさリックンシトウ / Kōsa-rikunshi-tō) is sold by Tsumura (ツムラ) and other makers as the standard OTC formula for "weak stomach + bloating". In Korea, similar preparations appear in the Hanpung (한풍) line as 향사육군자탕. The formula is, in short, the most prescribed classical "spleen-strengthening + qi-regulating" formula in East Asia.
From the source text
This page is cultural documentation, not medical advice.
From the source text · 卷一·删补名医方论·四君子汤方论附香砂六君子汤
Classical text
四君子汤加陈皮名异功散；再加半夏名六君子汤；加木香、砂仁名香砂六君子汤。治脾胃气虚，痰饮食积，气滞腹胀，饮食不消，呕哕吐食，或大便溏泄。
Modern Chinese rendering
在四君子汤基础上加陈皮，名"异功散"；再加半夏，名"六君子汤"；再加入木香、砂仁两味芳香理气之品，即为"香砂六君子汤"。用于脾胃气虚、痰饮食积、气滞腹胀、饮食不消、呕哕吐食，或大便溏泄。这是《医宗金鉴》"四君子汤系列"中"补气 + 化痰 + 理气"三联思路下的代表方剂：在四君子汤补气健脾的基础上，陈皮理气、半夏化痰和胃、木香砂仁芳香醒脾，三组药合用形成"补中带行、行中带化"的格局，使脾胃气虚兼气滞湿阻证得到兼顾，是现代中医临床"脾胃虚弱 + 腹胀"证候最常被引用的方剂之一。
Editorial translation
Adding tangerine peel to Sijunzi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction) yields Yigong San (Extraordinary Merit Powder); adding pinellia yields Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction); adding Aucklandia and Amomum yields Xiangsha Liujunzi Tang (Aucklandia-Amomum Six Gentlemen Decoction). It addresses spleen-stomach qi deficiency with phlegm-damp accumulation, qi stagnation and abdominal distension, indigestion, nausea and vomiting of food, or loose stools. This is the canonical "tonify qi + transform phlegm + regulate qi" three-in-one variation in the Sijunzi Tang series, as standardized in the Golden Mirror of Medicine: on the Sijunzi base of qi-tonification and spleen-strengthening, tangerine peel regulates qi, pinellia transforms phlegm and harmonizes the stomach, and Aucklandia plus Amomum are aromatic spleen-awakening herbs. The three groups together implement a "tonify within, move within, transform within" pattern that allows the spleen-stomach qi deficiency with qi stagnation and damp obstruction pattern to be addressed simultaneously, and is one of the most frequently cited formulas in modern TCM practice for the "spleen-stomach weakness + abdominal distension" pattern.
In tradition
In TCM framing, traditionally used in the context of "spleen-qi deficiency with qi stagnation", poor appetite, abdominal distension after eating, loose stools, occasional nausea, fatigue, and a pale tongue with a thin white coating. The formula adds two aromatic qi-regulating herbs (Aucklandia and Amomum) to the more familiar Six Gentlemen base, addressing the "stagnation" and "dampness" aspects that the original formula only partially covers. It is the most prescribed classical OTC formula for "weak stomach + bloating" patterns in China. In Japan, 香砂六君子湯 (Kōsa-rikunshi-tō) is sold by Tsumura (ツムラ) as the standard OTC "weak stomach" formula.
Formula composition
Monarch1
- Codonopsis root (Dǎng Shēn / 党参)
Minister2
- Atractylodes macrocephala (Bái Zhú / 白术)
- Poria (Fú Líng / 茯苓)
Assistant4
- Pinellia rhizome, processed (Bàn Xià / 半夏)
- Tangerine peel (Chén Pí / 陈皮)
- Aucklandia / Costus (Mù Xiāng / 木香)
- Amomum fruit (Shā Rén / 砂仁)
Envoy3
- Honey-fried licorice (Zhì Gān Cǎo / 炙甘草)
- Ginger (Shēng Jiāng / 生姜)
- Chinese date (Dà Zǎo / 大枣)
International availability
Cautions & context
- A "qi-tonic + qi-regulating" formula, long-term daily use is considered appropriate in TCM framing for chronic "weak stomach" presentations, but should be evaluated if symptoms change.
- Not appropriate during a common cold, fever, or active digestive upset in TCM framing.
- People with what TCM describes as "yin deficiency with fire" (night sweats, dry mouth, heat in the palms) are typically steered toward other formulas.
- Persistent abdominal pain, weight loss, vomiting, or blood in stool should be evaluated by a clinician, these are not within the scope of self-treatment.
Related formulas
Other formulas from this text· "Golden Mirror of Medicine"
- Anemarrhena-Phellodendron-Rehmannia Tablet知柏地黄片Zhī Bǎi Dì Huáng Piàn
- Eight-Treasure Motherwort八珍益母丸Bā Zhēn Yì Mǔ Wán
- Ophiopogon and Schisandra Rehmanni麦味地黄丸Mài Wèi Dì Huáng Wán
- Cyperus and Amomum Stomach-Nourishing香砂养胃丸Xiāng Shā Yǎng Wèi Wán
- Anemarrhena and Phellodendron Rehmanni知柏地黄丸Zhī Bǎi Dì Huáng Wán
Other formulas by this contributor· Imperial Medical Academy (Wu Qian, ed.)
- Anemarrhena-Phellodendron-Rehmannia Tablet知柏地黄片Zhī Bǎi Dì Huáng Piàn
- Eight-Treasure Motherwort八珍益母丸Bā Zhēn Yì Mǔ Wán
- Ophiopogon and Schisandra Rehmanni麦味地黄丸Mài Wèi Dì Huáng Wán
- Cyperus and Amomum Stomach-Nourishing香砂养胃丸Xiāng Shā Yǎng Wèi Wán
- Anemarrhena and Phellodendron Rehmanni知柏地黄丸Zhī Bǎi Dì Huáng Wán
Browse by Pattern
Related concerns
Concern · digestion
Digestion
Upper-abdominal heaviness, bloating, sour reflux, loose stools, traveler's stomach, and the aftermath of a meal that was richer, spicier, or larger than usual.
Editorial note
Compiled from "Golden Mirror of Medicine" (1742).
Last reviewed: July 18, 2026
Three layers of evidence
Classical source
≈ 300 years · "Golden Mirror of Medicine" (1742)
Pharmacopoeia indication
"Replenish qi and fortify the spleen, harmonize the stomach. Used for spleen-stomach qi deficiency with damp obstruction and qi stagnation: indigestion, belching with reduced intake, epigastric and abdominal fullness, loose stools."
Modern research status
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis (PMID 38933675) of Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction for functional dyspepsia found improvements in overall symptom response rates and reductions in epigastric symptoms compared with prokinetics or placebo, though the authors cautioned that the included trials had variable methodological quality; no high-quality Cochrane-style review was identified. [4]
References
References reviewed on July 18, 2026 · PubMed search on 2026-07-18
- 01ClassicalWu Qian (吴谦) et al. (eds.), 《医宗金鉴·删补名医方论》 (Yī Zōng Jīn Jiàn · Shān Bǔ Míng Yī Fāng Lùn / Golden Mirror of Medicine · "Edited and Supplemented Formulas of Famous Physicians"), Qing dynasty, completed 1742, vol. 1, the section on Sijunzi Tang with the appended discussion of its three successive variations (Yigong San → Liujunzi Tang → Xiangsha Liujunzi Tang) being the canonical text for the "tonify qi + transform phlegm + regulate qi" three-in-one pattern in the Sijunzi Tang series.
- 02TextbookDuan Fuqin (段富津) et al. (eds.), 《方剂学》 (Fāngjìxué / Textbook of Formulas), Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 1995, the standard modern university-level formula textbook in mainland China, with Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang analysed as the representative "spleen-strengthening + qi-regulating" formula for spleen-stomach qi deficiency with qi stagnation and damp obstruction patterns.
- 03PharmacopoeiaChinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, 《中华人民共和国药典》 2020 年版一部 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Yàodiǎn, Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, 2020 Edition, Vol. I), China Medical Science Press, 2020, the official monograph for Xiāng Shā Liù Jūn Wán dosage forms, with the "functional indications" reading "益气健脾, 和胃" (replenish qi and fortify the spleen, harmonize the stomach).
- 04