The underrated Lanxi Medicine Emperor Temple still retains its opera stage!

Lanxi is a renowned distribution center for traditional Chinese medicinal materials, ranking first among the "Three Xis" medicine capitals alongside Jixi and Cixi. During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was the Huimin Pharmacy, and the Southern Song Dynasty also had the Huimin Pharmacy. In the Ming Dynasty, Lanxi's Zhuge Pharmaceutical Industry formed a famous pharmaceutical guild.

Lanxi Medicine Emperor Temple (Shennong Temple), also known as Jixi Pharmaceutical Office, was first built in the ninth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1744). It is a place where people pray for blessings, disaster relief, and longevity.

Lanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Specialized School was established in 1919 and is one of the earliest public specialized TCM schools in modern China. It initially hired Zhang Shanlei, a pioneer in modern TCM education, as the director of academic affairs.

The 28th day of the fourth lunar month is the Medicine Emperor's birthday. The ritual vessels honor four medicinal herbs: black plum, licorice, coptis, and pepper, and an opera troupe is invited to perform for four days.

The Medicine Emperor Temple has five bays in width, three courtyards, and two sky wells. The beams, purlins, lintels, and corbels are all exquisitely carved. It has been listed as a provincial-level cultural protection unit in Zhejiang Province.

Post by ShoeBookBedRain | Sep 6, 2025