Zhenyuantang
Batch 1Est. 1752
Founding
The Zhenyuantang apothecary was founded in 1752 by Du Jingxiang, north of Shuicheng Bridge in old Shaoxing. Its name, drawn from the Book of Changes, evokes goodness and benevolence.
What made it famous
Drawing on Shaoxing's deep 'Yue medicine' heritage, Zhenyuantang earned a reputation across the lower Yangtze for careful sourcing and exacting formulas, summed up in the saying 'a millennium of Yue medicine, a century of Zhenyuan.'
Signature craft
Its pharmacy stresses authentic medicinal materials and traditional processing, compounding pills, powders and pastes by old methods, making it a key carrier of Shaoxing's medical culture.
Cultural standing
Recognized as a first-batch 'China Time-Honored Brand' in 1996.