text | Chen Jianhua
Xu Dachun statue in Jiaxing Huafa Lantai Pharmacy
The shop along the street at No. 908 Qinjian Road, Jiaxing City, has a short storefront. It is not conspicuous at all on the Qinjian Road with many small shops and plaques. If passers-by do not pay attention, they can only see the store name signs on the front of the store "Start in the 27th year of Qianlong" and the store name signs located on the east wall of the store, which are often ignored by pedestrians.
Here is a pharmacy called "Fahrenheit Lantai Pharmacy". The number on the signboard indicates that it is the number one store of this brand's drugstore chain.
The 27th year of Qianlong’s reign, the No. 1 store - two information highlights the uniqueness of this pharmacy.
Indeed, in the memory of "Old Jiaxing", this small pharmacy is not simple at all. The old pharmacy, founded in 1762, once had unparalleled glory. Its original name is Lantai Pharmacy. In 1956, Qinjian Road was expanded and renovated from the original Zhangjialan. The following year, Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau moved here. The original Qiqi Road was limited to the current area of one or two hundred meters between Shaonian Road and Jianguo Road, and Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau was right there. For a long time, Lantai Pharmacy was an important landmark on this road.
The author has worked in Lantai Pharmacy for more than 20 years and has a deep affection for it. He has had a brief exploration of its historical origins. Today, I will introduce to you the proud past of Lantai Pharmacy.
Medical Master founded the Pharmacy Bureau
Lantai Pharmacy Bureau, and was Xu Dachun, a famous medical scientist during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.
Xu Dachun, whose courtesy name is Lingfei, and his later pseudonym Huixi Laoren, was born in the 32nd year of Kangxi (1693) and died in the 36th year of Qianlong (1771). The Xu family’s ancestral home is Jiangxi. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the ancestors of the Xu family moved to Jiashan, and during the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty, they moved to SuzhouWujiang. Xu Dachun's great-grandfather was very knowledgeable and knowledgeable. His grandfather Xu Yan entered the Hanlin Academy in the 18th year of Kangxi and participated in the compilation of the "History of Ming Dynasty". Although his father Xu Yanghao failed to pass the imperial examination, he was also a scholar.
Xu Dachun was born in such a family of books. The elders have always hoped that he could inherit his ancestral career and become an official, but Xu Dachun was indifferent to fame and fortune, and had a strong interest in classics and medicine. He finally chose a life path of learning medicine to save the world.
Xu Dachun’s ancestors collected many medical books, which provided great help to him in studying medicine. After becoming famous, Xu Dachun was often invited to go to the hospital in southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang, and opened clinics and pharmacies in Wujiang and surrounding towns. The Lantai Pharmacy in Jiaxing was founded in Xu Dachun's later years.
The famous poet and essayist Yuan Mei from the Qianlong and Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, and once wrote "Biography of Mr. Xu Lingfei". This article is included in Yuan Mei's " Xiaocang Shanfang Poetry Collection ". This biography of Xu Dachun introduces his life, family background, talent, demeanor and medical achievements, leaving behind many extremely precious historical materials for later generations.
Yuan Mei's article records the situation where Xu Dachun was summoned to Beijing by Emperor Qianlong to treat the Beijing officials twice. In the 25th year of Qianlong's reign (1760), Grand Secretary Jiang Pu 6 was seriously ill. Qianlong ordered people to visit famous doctors in the world. Qin Huitian, Minister of Justice, recommended Xu Dachun. In the first month of the following year, Xu Dachun was summoned to Beijing to treat Jiang Pu. After diagnosis, Xu Dachun believed that Jiang Pu's illness was no longer possible, so he reported to Qianlong secretly and admitted that Jiang Pu "suspended after seven days of the beginning of summer." If as he said, Jiang Pu died of illness. Qianlong praised Xu Dachun for his medical skills and simple and honesty, and wanted to keep him in the Imperial Hospital, but Xu Dachun reported that he was old and insisted on returning home, and was allowed to return home.
11, October of the 36th year of Qianlong (1771), Emperor Qianlong summoned Xu Dachun to Beijing for treatment. At this time, Xu Dachun was already old, and he felt that he might not survive this time when he entered Beijing, so he led his second son to go with him. After a boat sailing for more than a month, he arrived in Beijing on the first day of the twelfth lunar month. The old and weak Xu Dachun had lost his energy. Three days later, he calmly discussed the principles of yin and yang, life and death, and made two couplets in front of the tomb: "The mountains are full of fragrant grass and immortal medicine, and the path of the fresh breeze is the tomb of the scholars." "The soul returns to the Jiuyuan, and the abdomen is buried underground; the books are spread to the world, and the benefits are in the world for thousands of years." At night, Xu Dachun passed away with chatting and laughing at the age of 79.
Emperor Qianlong felt very sorry when he heard the news, and gave him a gift to his Son and gave his son a large amount of money. Afterwards, Xu Dachun's coffin was returned to his hometown for burial.In the 57th year of Qianlong's reign, his tomb was moved to Lingyi Village, Bali, Wujiang.
Wujiang Xu Dachun Cemetery
The name of "Lantai" comes from the Forbidden City
According to the records about Lantai Pharmacy in the "Gate Directory" compiled by the "Gate Directory" compiled by the Census Office of the Construction Street Place Names of Jiaxing City , the predecessor of the Lantai Pharmacy was the Daniantang Pharmacy built in the Ming Dynasty. After the fire, the Daniantang Pharmacy Store was burned. In the early years of Qianlong, Xu Dachun went to Jiaxing to practice medicine and opened a pharmacy store in the east gate of Jiaxing. The predecessor of this pharmacy was Da Niantang.
Regarding Xu Dachun's practice of medicine in the Jiaxing area, Mr. Yan Jianming wrote an article "Two Famous Doctors Who Live in Puyuan ". One of the famous doctors mentioned in the article is Xu Dachun, and the other is Wang Mengying, a native of Haining in the late Qing Dynasty.
The article mentioned that in the early years of Qianlong, Xu Dachun went to Puyuan to practice medicine and lived in Xu Xichun's house at the Beihexia. Xu Xichun's nephew Xu Yinjie admired Xu Dachun's reputation and became a teacher. As a result, many of Xu Dachun's medical cases were collected by Xu's family in the Puyuan. During the Xianfeng period, the medical case collected by Xu was obtained by Lu Shen'an, a famous surgeon in the Puyuan. Lu Shen'an and Xu Lingfei's descendants and disciples Jin Fuchu and Jiang Guangyu jointly published these medical cases, named "Huixi Medical Cases", and Wang Mengying wrote the preface for this book.
Daniantang Pharmacy was originally located in the east of Jiaxing City. After Xu Dachun rebuilt the pharmacy shop, he moved it to Luli Street outside the city. Later, the pharmacy was renamed Lantai Pharmacy. At that time, Luli Street had convenient transportation and many shops, and the pharmacy business was quite prosperous. The pharmacy has been operating in Luli Street for nearly a hundred years.
1860, the Taiping Army attacked Jiaxing, and when the Qing army retreated, the Luli Street burned into ruins. Afterwards, Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau moved to the lower bank of Xihe Street (now the area around Jiefang Road).
In the 1920s, the prosperous commercial areas of Jiaxing City had been moved to the areas of Beimen Street (now Huating Street) and Tangwan Street (formerly Beijing Road). Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau moved to a Shikuyunmenmen, Beimen Street (formerly No. 356 Jianguo Road, diagonally opposite Zhong'an Bridge). There were about three storefronts, with a depth of fifty or sixty meters, and it was only a wall separated from the former Provincial No. 1 Middle School (now Fucheng Primary School).
In 1957, Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau moved to Qinjian Road. In the next half century, Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau and Qinjianlu experienced prosperity and decline together.
Copper punch tube that has been used for a hundred years
After opening a pharmacy in Jiaxing, it is impossible to check whether Xu Dachun manages the pharmacy himself or entrusts others. However, the time when Da Niantang Pharmacy was renamed Lantai Pharmacy should be after Xu Dachun first entered Beijing.
This is because the "Lantai" person has a great background.
In 1965, the author joined Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau. Once, with curiosity, I asked Mr. Xia Xiangyao, the last private manager of the pharmacy: Why are other Chinese medicine stores called Taishantang, Changshengtang, Baochuntang, and Tongrentang? The store names are easy to remember and understand. What does this "Lantai" mean?
Mr. Xia told me: Xu Yisheng, a descendant of Xu Dachun, once told him the origin of the name "Lantai". Xu Dachun was ordered to enter the capital for the first time and was given the title of Lantai Pavilion, which resides in the palace. Lantai Pavilion is the place where books are collected in the Forbidden City. Although Xu Dachun has been in Lantai Pavilion for only a few months, he has benefited a lot from reading books. After returning to his hometown, he renamed the Daniantang Pharmacy, which he opened in Jiaxing that year, "Lantai Pharmacy". In the 29th year of Qianlong's reign (1764), he wrote a medical book, which he named it "Lantai Radical Model". The names of "Lantai" were all thankful for Xu Dachun to live in Lantai Pavilion in memory of Emperor Qianlong.
I specially found "Cihai" to verify the meaning of the word "Lantai". Entry notes: Lantai, which was the place where books were collected in the Han Dynasty palace. The Censor General was appointed as the chief censor, and later generations called the Censor Lantai. The annotation of "Lantai" in "Cihai" is consistent with the origin of the name of the Lantai Pharmacy that Mr. Xia said.
The way to operate a century-old pharmacy
Whether it is to save the world or open a pharmacy shop, Xu Dachun always has the heart of "helping the world and saving people, kindness and kindness are the first priority", and regards "Even if no one sees cultivation, sincerity will lead to heaven's knowledge" as the foundation of establishing a store.
Fan Shihong, who came to work at Lantai Pharmacy in the 1930s, often told me about his apprenticeship during his lifetime: when students had been thinking for three years, they had to read the store rules first, and then start by sorting and picking the medicinal materials, identifying the authenticity of the medicinal materials, distinguishing the medicinal materials, and reciting books such as " Medicinal Properties Fu " and "Soup Songs"; prescription preparation, processing and production, and pill making, all taught by the master.
In 1965, I graduated from the Chinese medicine professional class of Qunli Middle School and entered the Lantai Pharmacy Bureau. The store appointed me a master to "teach and help me". I learned a lot of business knowledge and operational skills that were not available in the classroom, which benefited me for life.
Back then, there was a plaque hanging in the Lantai Pharmacy, with the four words " Ge Hong Liuhui" written on it (Note: Ge Hong, a famous medical scientist in the Eastern Jin Dynasty) to show employees that they required medicinal materials to be processed and prepared. Whether soaked, fried, steamed, simmered, stewed, calcified, meticulous. Slicing of different medicinal materials is handled by masters of different levels. Because this is related to the effect of Chinese herbal medicines. There is a jargon in the Chinese medicine world, "Aconite flies to the sky, and betel nuts are 108 pieces", which describes the skill of those old pharmacists with unique skills.
The quality of traditional Chinese medicine depends on the reputation of the pharmacy. I remember that the procurement of medicinal materials by Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau is very particular: Tangerine peel must be Xinhui, Guangdong; Rehmannia, yam, and Achyranthes must be Huaiqing, Henan; Sichuan shell only recognizes Sichuan Songpan; Codonopsis pilosula is produced in Luzhou. It is better to be expensive than to use inferior goods. Medicinal materials are processed and prepared, and adhere to the law.
After more than two hundred years, the Lantai Pharmacy Bureau has always adhered to the tradition of cultivating various pills, powders and pills. It is either based on the "Heji Bureau Prescription" of the Song Dynasty or following the secret recipes of the palace copied by Xu Dachun. They are all handled and prepared by the master of the fine goods room. Such as the 24-made golden orange, Du Jianlu peel glue, Angong Niuhuang Pills, Quanlu Pills, Shiquanda Bulk Paste, Qiongyu Paste, Liushen Pills, Plum Blossom Dingling Pills, Babao Eye Pills, etc., they are all finely made, genuine and well-known.
Some medicines are exclusive secret products. For example, Qingning Pills, steam rhubarb with 24 Chinese herbal medicines for a long time, then grind the rhubarb that has eaten the medicines thoroughly into fine powder, and finally make it into a pill. This medicine has the effects of relieving liver fire, relieving stools, clearing dampness and heat. It has a harmonious and smooth medicinal power and obvious effect. It is known as the "24th-made Qingning Pills of Lantai Pharmacy Bureau".
Anxi Baoyuan tribute belt was once a unique figure in Lantai Pharmacy. The formula of tribute belt includes musk, benign, deer antler, cinnamon, lilac , and nearly 30 precious Chinese medicines. First grind all the medicine into extremely fine powder, mix well, and evenly clamp it in a belt made of satin, and tie it close to the waist. The strange fragrance of the belt is exposed to people, and the medicinal power penetrates the skin and enters the internal organs. It has the effects of warming the yang, warming the uterus, protecting the kidneys, protecting the body and analgesic pain, and nourishing the blood. It is said that this item was once a tribute, so it is called "tribute belt".
Anxi Baoyuan Tribute Belt Instructions
Mr. Weng Nanqiao entered the Lantai Pharmacy in the 1940s. At that time, he was only 14 years old. Mr. Weng recalled that the production of the tribute belt was very exquisite, and a special master was responsible for adjusting the ingredients and operating them separately behind closed doors. The finished tribute belt is installed in a tin can with excellent sealing properties to prevent the aroma from being lost. Unfortunately, a few years after he entered the pharmacy, the tribute belt was stopped for some reason. Nowadays, there are very few people who know that the Lantai Pharmacy Bureau has “Anxi Baoyuan Tribute”.
When I was working at Lantai Pharmacy, I was fortunate to find an old paper with a square footage, black lettering on red background, and stone carvings printed, and I have kept it to this day. This piece of paper is signed as "The owner of Zhejiang Jia Xu Lantai Pharmacy is recognized by him." It introduces in detail the functions, functions, and suitable populations of the Ayama tribute belt. A few years ago, I took this piece of paper to Mr. Weng for a look, and he said: This is the instruction manual for putting it in a tin can with the tribute belt.
Local traditional Chinese medicine culture continues to be inherited
Now, in the Qinjianlu Lantai Pharmacy, there is a half-body statue of Xu Dachun. This sculpture was written in 2003 to commemorate the 310th anniversary of Xu Dachun's birth.
In his hometown of Wujiang, this famous medical master has always been highly praised. Although Xu Dachun has passed away for more than two hundred years, his cemetery is still well preserved.
I once went to the cemetery to pay homage to this sage. The cemetery located in Lingyi Village, Wujiang has white walls and green tiles on three sides on the east and west sides. It is a small river in the south. The garden is covered with green trees and towering pine and cypress.Xu Dachun's tomb is located in the middle of the cemetery, and the words "Tomb of Xu Ling, a famous doctor in Qing Dynasty - Reconstructed in 1963" are engraved on the tombstone. In front of the tomb is a four-pillar and three-bedroom stone archway. The "famous scholars" on the archway were written by Peng Qifeng, the Minister of War during the Qianlong period. The couplets of the cemetery that Xu Dachun made for himself before his death are also vivid in my mind.
Xu Dachun Research Collection
In the early 1960s, Wujiang County renovated the Xu Dachun Cemetery. During the Cultural Revolution, the cemetery was destroyed. In 1984, the local cemetery was built and basically restored to its original appearance. In April 1995, the Jiangsu Provincial Government listed Xu Dachun’s tomb as a provincial cultural relic protection unit.
During the Cultural Revolution, Jiaxing Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau was also attacked. Back then, the "rebels" rushed into the pharmacy and put seals on the glass counter displaying precious medicinal materials such as ginseng, bird's nest, and deer antlers, and then left. At that time, the clerk was afraid of getting into trouble again, so he replaced the more than ten Grand Master Chairs that had originally given customers a rest in the store with long benches; some old porcelain, old medicine bottles, and old objects were broken and discarded, which was a pity and ridiculous.
At that time, some people believed that the name "Lantai" had a feudal color, so the pharmacy was changed to Jiaxing Chinese and Western Medicine Store, and later it was changed to a thrift pharmacy. It was not until 1985 that the store name of Lantai Pharmacy was restored. For this reason, Mr. Ren Zheng, a Shanghai calligrapher, was invited to rewrite the store name and make it into bronze.
For more than two hundred years, Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau has made indescribable great contributions to protecting the health of the people of Jiaxing, and has always promoted the development of Jiaxing's traditional Chinese medicine industry. In 1996, the Lantai Pharmaceutical Bureau was awarded the title of "China Time-honored Brand" by the Ministry of Domestic Trade at that time; in 1998 and 2008, the Pharmaceutical Bureau was twice rated as an advanced team in the national pharmaceutical industry.
Now, the Lantai Pharmacy’s glory was no longer there, but her former charm has been deeply imprinted in the minds of many Jiaxing elderly people.
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