Two villagers dig up Fritillaria thunbergii in Cixia village in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

In Cixia village, Pan'an county, Jinhua, Zhejiang province, Chen Shoushun and his family were recently digging up Fritillaria thunbergii, a kind of traditional Chinese medicine also called zhebeimu.

In the village, more than 80 percent of villagers are engaged in the cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials or related work, according to villager Chen Youde.

Inheriting his family tradition in growing zhebeimu, Chen began cultivating it in 1990, and he planted over 10 mu (0.67 hectares) this year.

Prices for this herb have rocketed to 200 yuan ($27.92) per kilogram from 34 yuan in 2020. "Each mu can generate about 40,000 yuan and the total can reach over 200,000 yuan this year," Chen said.

Dubbed "China's herb hub", Pan'an hosts five signature medicinals known collectively as Pan Wu Wei including zhebeimu, which gained national geographical certification in 2010.

"The registration has greatly elevated the awareness and competitiveness of Pan'an's traditional Chinese medicine," said Yang Dingsheng, an inheritor of the processing techniques of Pan Wu Wei herbs — an intangible cultural heritage item in Zhejiang.

Currently, Pan'an boasts 48,000 households cultivating Chinese medicinal materials and 68,000 of its residents are engaged in the industry, accounting for one third of the total population.

The total planting area in the county has remained stable at over 100,000 mu, with an annual output of 28,300 metric tons worth over 1.8 billion yuan.

To extend the industrial chain, the county has partnered with the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine to establish an internet medical treatment center, a decoction and dispensing center, and a research and development center.

It is also promoting the integration of Chinese medicine with tourism, study tours, and culinary delicacies.