Seeking New Value for Ancient Tibetan Medicine

　　Lei Jufang (right) exchanges views with the head of a Tibetan medical school in the Tibetan region.

　　Her grayish-white hair is casually swept back, and she’s dressed in plain-colored clothes with a pair of sneakers on her feet... From outward appearance, Lei Jufang, chairperson of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd., looks no different from an ordinary housewife.

　　Yet it was she—after 25 years of ups and downs—that gradually transformed the company from a small factory with fewer than 100 employees into a publicly listed enterprise with nearly 2,000 employees and sales exceeding 1 billion yuan. For more than two decades, the company has never once delayed paying a single penny in wages to its employees. Since going public, the company has distributed cumulative dividends totaling 1.145 billion yuan; it has paid over 1.8 billion yuan in taxes in Tibet and has been recognized as an outstanding tax-paying enterprise by the autonomous region for many consecutive years...

　　Responding to the nation’s call, I’ve plunged into the business world to study Tibetan medicine.

　　After graduating from university, Lei Jufang was assigned to work at the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

　　“In the mid-1980s, we broke through a key technological barrier, and the institute rewarded our team with 10,000 yuan—back then, my monthly salary was only 40 yuan,” said Lei Jufang. To this day, she still fondly remembers that period of her career. In 1987, the state proposed that “technical personnel should head into the main battlefields of the national economy.” Inspired by this call, Lei Jufang resolutely decided to “enter the business world.” “I’m someone who tends to be rather ‘impulsive,’” Lei Jufang recalled. Fueled by the dream of turning scientific research results into productive forces, she and four other colleagues left the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

　　Lei Jufang and others founded the Institute for Industrial Pollution Control, where they developed products designed to remove rust and oil from the surfaces of metal components—and achieved immediate success, earning their “first pot of gold” in life.

　　At the time, Lei Jufang happened to have a relative whose child was suffering from a rare disease and had sought medical treatment everywhere without success. Following someone’s advice, Lei Jufang found Tubudan, a renowned Tibetan doctor from Gannan Prefecture. “After examining the child, Dr. Tubudan prescribed a Tibetan herbal remedy. Not long after the child started taking the medicine, the symptoms significantly eased and eventually disappeared completely,” said Lei Jufang. It was then that she first became connected with Tibetan medicine.

　　On August 9, 1993, Lei Jufang founded Qizheng Group, specializing in the research and development and production of Tibetan medicine.

　　Leveraging modern technology to unlock the immense potential of traditional Tibetan medicine.

　　In 1993, Qizheng medicinal patches—promoted for their functions of activating blood circulation, removing blood stasis, reducing swelling, and relieving pain—were launched onto the market. Originally, these patches were topical ointments with a short shelf life, making them unsuitable for long-distance transportation. Lei Jufang applied modern transdermal absorption technology and vacuum freeze-drying technology to process the ointment, then packed the freeze-dried medicinal powder into patch pads, extending the shelf life to up to three years and making the product much more convenient to carry.

　　“At that time, the mainland market simply didn’t recognize Tibetan medicine,” Lei Jufang said. To open up sales channels, she carried her medicines from one pharmacy to another, pitching them door-to-door. “One year, coincidentally, the Bayi men’s basketball team was training in Lanzhou, so I approached their team doctor and recommended our products. As it happened, the team doctor was a cadre sent to Tibet as part of an aid program and was highly impressed with Tibetan medicine—he agreed to help promote it.”

　　In April 1994, at the “Symposium on the Efficacy of Qizheng Medicinal Plasters” held by the Training Bureau of the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission in Beijing, coaches and athletes alike gave extremely high praise to Qizheng Medicinal Plasters. In October of the same year, at the Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, Qizheng Medicinal Plasters made their debut as an injury-treatment product used by athletes, accompanying the Chinese sports delegation to this major international sporting event.

　　After opening up sales channels, Qizheng Group steadily grew stronger:

　　In 1995, Lei Jufang established the Tibet Linzhi Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Factory in Linzhi. In 2009, the company was listed on the SME Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, becoming the first Tibetan medicine enterprise from the Tibet Autonomous Region to be listed on the SME Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

　　Sales exceeded 100 million yuan in 2002; last year, they reached 1.053 billion yuan.

　　Lei Jufang said that Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has always been committed to the modernization of the Tibetan medicine industry. Through scientific research innovation, technological innovation, and marketing innovation, the company is tapping into the immense potential of traditional Tibetan medicine. The company’s R&D center, supported by two engineering laboratories specializing in solid dosage forms and topical preparations of Tibetan medicine, maintains long-term collaborations with top academic and research institutions both at home and abroad.

　　As of the end of last year, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine had already secured 55 Tibetan medicine product names and 72 drug approval numbers, covering a variety of specialized Tibetan medical treatment areas including orthopedics, neurology, gynecology, and gastroenterology. Faced with applause, Lei Jufang said, “Traditional Tibetan medicine is an enormous treasure trove—I’ve merely picked up a few beautiful stones from its very edge.”

　　Fulfill social responsibilities and uphold values of kindness and altruism.

　　Over the course of more than 20 years of development, Lei Jufang has focused on the effective, rational, and sustainable utilization of Tibetan medicinal resources—from the procurement of raw materials to R&D and production—while building a business ecosystem that is geared toward long-term benefits.

　　“First, we’ll conduct a survey of Tibetan medicinal herb resources and carry out alternative research to continuously optimize processing techniques and prescriptions, thereby improving the utilization rate of these herbs. Second, we’ll achieve sustainable procurement at the place of origin, eliminating the overharvesting and indiscriminate digging of wild medicinal herb resources. Third, we’ll undertake research into Tibetan medicinal herb cultivation techniques and establish dedicated cultivation bases,” Lei Jufang told the reporter.

　　Feng Ping, Vice President of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd., said that Qizheng will neither develop nor research any pharmaceutical products involving endangered resources. “In terms of production processes, we also strive to incorporate the entire herb into our medicines as much as possible. For example, we’ve improved our grinding technology, achieving a herb recovery rate of over 99% and minimizing waste to the greatest extent.”

　　As of last year, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine had established over 103,000 mu of various conservation and cultivation research bases, located in areas such as Linzhi and Shannan in Tibet. Moreover, it has successfully conducted research on cultivation techniques for 47 species of Tibetan medicinal herbs.

　　In addition, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine is actively promoting the development of traditional Tibetan medical education in ethnic minority regions. “We have donated and fully fund the operation of a traditional Tibetan medical school that enrolls students from Tibetan families facing financial hardship to provide them with training in Tibetan medicine theory, herb gathering, and clinical practice,” said Lei Jufang. At the school, not only are tuition fees completely waived, but students also receive living allowances. To date, 76 students have already graduated.

　　Graduates of these traditional Tibetan medical education programs have established themselves in grassroots Tibetan medical clinics, ensuring the effective operation of such clinics at the community level and providing a practical foundation for keeping Tibetan medicine and its cultural heritage vibrant. Lei Jufang has also initiated the “Hundred Tibetan Medical Clinics in Tibetan Areas” project, which has now led to the establishment of more than 10 clinics across Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Tibet.

　　On the path of social welfare and targeted poverty alleviation, Lei Jufang has led Qizheng Group to keep forging ahead. Today, Qizheng has taken on the task of promoting 100,000 tons of barley from the Tibet Autonomous Region in the market. Lei Jufang said that the company has already established a 40,000-mu organic barley cultivation base in Shigatse and aims to expand this to 100,000 mu within three years, thereby helping more farmers shake off poverty. As of the end of last year, Qizheng had cumulatively invested over 91 million yuan in social welfare initiatives—including healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation—in Tibetan areas and western China.

　　“Qi Zheng’s achievements today are thanks to this magnificent and turbulent era!” Looking back on the journey so far, Lei Jufang said that the company will continue to uphold its values of ‘doing good and benefiting others, pursuing integrity and righteous business practices,’ and make even greater contributions in areas such as traditional medicine, education in Tibetan regions, and environmental protection.

　　Reporting media: People's Daily

　　Report link: http://paper.cnwomen.com.cn/content/2018-11/10/054169.html