TONGLIANG AY TSAO Spreading the Fragrance of Wormwood Across the World

TONGLIANG AY TSAO  
Spreading the Fragrance of Wormwood Across the World
原乡小艾 让艾草香飘世界

重庆真艾农业、铜梁艾草品牌“原乡小艾”创始人陈平接受专访。

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the aroma of wormwood fills the air. In March 2023, the backflow incense  under the brand TONGLIANG AY TSAO was inscribed on the fourth list of “Chongqing Gifts and Foreign-Affairs Gifts”. Recently, Chen Ping, founder of Chongqing Zhen’ai Agricultural Co., Ltd.  and the TONGLIANG AY TSAO brand had an interview with The World and Chongqing at their office.

Moxa sticks, backflow incense, wormwood essential oils, wormwood sachets, moxa pillows, sweet wormwood green rice balls, foot bath bags ... Chen showcased over ten varieties of wormwood products and proudly stated, “These are all self-developed and self-produced products. Our wormwood is 100% pure and natural, without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.”

China’s incense culture has been one of the most pervasive cultural legacies, intimately linked to everyday life since ancient times. While lighting a Bodhi seed-shaped backflow incense, Chen said, “This particular backflow incense was made using three-year-old wormwood as the main ingredient and traditional methods. It emits a fresh and elegant herbaceous aroma.” The smoke produced by the incense resembles a snow-white waterfall pouring down and then flowing silently, and also a light white cloud leisurely drifting in the sky.

Amidst the lingering aroma of wormwood, Chen shared his story with wormwood.

Exploring New Paths of Rural Revitalization with Wormwood

Wormwood, also known as “medical grass”, is a common medicinal herb found in rural areas. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, wormwood can warm channels for arresting bleeding, dispel cold and relieve pain, remove wind, and stop itching. “In my hometown, there’s a saying that goes, ‘When wormwood is readily available at home, there’s no need for a doctor’.” Chen Ping from Shaoyun Town in Tongliang District often suffered from wind-cold-caused colds in his childhood, and his mother would use wormwood medicinally to treat him. The strong aroma of wormwood in his childhood memories sowed the seed for Chen’s future career working with this herb.

After completing his university education, Chen worked in the main urban area of Chongqing. During holidays, he would visit his parents in the village, where he was saddened to see the once-fertile land of his childhood now abandoned. This led to an idea sprouting in his mind—he would return to his hometown and start a business growing wormwood. To realize his idea, Chen conducted several investigations across different locations in China. In 2017, he established Chongqing Zhen’ai Agriculture Co., Ltd. in Shaoyuan Town. In addition, he promoted large-scale wormwood cultivation by visiting households and villages and also set up production workshops equipped with modern facilities.

His hard work and dedication eventually paid off. With the support of the local government and Chen’s active leadership, over 3,000 households in 11 villages of Shaoyun Town participated in the collective economy projects. The wormwood planting gradually scaled up, from a few hundred to several thousand mu, making Shaoyun Town the largest wormwood full-industry chain base in southwest China. Through a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, over 30 wormwood-derived products have been developed by the company. These products have been exported to various countries and regions including Europe, America, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

In recent years, Chen’s company has been recognized with awards  such as the “Chongqing Municipal Leading Enterprise” and “Demonstration Enterprise for Rural Revitalization”. Its flagship brand, TONGLIANG AY TSAO, has also been named among the “Top 100 Iconic Brands of Agricultural Products in China” and “National Famed, Special, Premium, and New Agricultural Products”. The company’s traditional production technique of “time-honored long-kept wormwood-based health products” has been inscribed on the fourth list of intangible cultural heritage in Tongliang District.

Disseminating the Culture of Wormwood Across the World

“原乡小艾”流云香。

After thousands of years of inheritance, the wormwood culture is shining with its unique charm. Chen has made many efforts to promote and preserve the wormwood culture such as offering incense-making experience courses, hosting intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and workshops, and providing moxibustion services and skills training, with the aim of attracting more people to appreciate and continue this tradition. “I hope that after experiencing and enjoying wormwood products and services, people will fall in love with wormwood”, said Chen.

How can the fragrance of wormwood be spread all over the world? This is a persistent question in Chen’s mind. While contemplating how to preserve and promote the wormwood culture, Chen has made more efforts to expand its reach globally, in the hope of sharing the unique charm of this traditional Chinese culture with the world.

In 2019, Chen Ping showcased signature products such as TONGLIANG AY TSAO-branded sachets, moxibustion sticks, and essential oils at the Tongliang Pavilion during the 2nd Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade. On the opening day of the event, the wormwood products displayed at the booth were sold out. What made Chen more pleased was that the products garnered a great deal of interest from foreign visitors. In 2021, the “Discover Four Seasons, Love All Beings” Chongqing-Hong Kong SAR-Macao SAR Youth Nature Exploration Charity Event  made its way to Tongliang. More than a hundred teenagers recently visited TONGLIANG AY TSAO’s wormwood base to learn about the plant. During their visit, they had the opportunity to plant, draw, and write about wormwood, make wormwood wreaths, and bundle wormwood bunches, as well as learn how to roll moxibustion sticks and practice moxa-moxibustion. Through these activities, the students gained a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture and developed an appreciation for the mystical charm of wormwood. 

 “An increasing number of people are discovering the allure of wormwood, and I am dedicated to further promoting its benefits. My goal is to bring wormwood products into every home, and spread the delightful aroma of Tongliang’s wormwood throughout the world”, expressed Chen.

端午时节，艾草飘香。今年3月，铜梁艾草品牌“原乡小艾流云香”入选第四届“重庆好礼·外事礼品”。近日，重庆真艾农业、铜梁“原乡小艾”创始人陈平做客重庆与世界杂志社，并接受记者专访。

艾条、流云香、艾草精油、艾叶香囊、艾绒枕头、艾草青团、足浴包……陈平带来十余款艾草产品展示，并自豪地表示：“这些都是自产自研的产品，我们的艾草不使用化肥农药，百分之百纯天然。” 

中国的香文化自古以来就是最接近生活的一种文化传承。“这款流云香，选用存放三年的陈艾为主料，通过传统工艺制成，散发草本的芬芳，清新而淡雅。”陈平点燃一颗菩提子状的流云香，香体燃烧所产生的烟雾，似一泉雪白的飞瀑顺流直下，静静流淌；又似轻盈的白云，悠闲自在地在天空飘荡。

伴着悠悠艾香，陈平说起了自己与艾草的故事。

为“艾”倾心  乡村振兴探新路 

艾草是乡村常见的药草，又被称为“医草”。《本草纲目》中记载，艾草具有温经止血、散寒止痛、祛风止痒之功效。“我的家乡有‘家中常备艾，郎中不用来’的说法。”陈平是铜梁区少云镇人，小时候常患风寒感冒，母亲用艾草入药为他治疗。童年记忆中弥漫着艾草浓郁的香气，为他日后与艾草事业结缘埋下种子。

大学毕业后，陈平在重庆主城区工作，每次节假日回村看望父母，看着儿时一片片沃土逐渐撂荒,心里很不是滋味。一个念头在他的心中萌芽——返乡创业种艾草。为此，陈平多次前往全国各地考察，并于2017年在家乡少云镇成立了重庆真艾农业有限公司，通过走村串户推广规模化种植艾草，并建立起生产车间、引进机器设备。

努力付出终有回报。在当地政府的帮扶和陈平的积极带动下，少云镇11个村3000余户村民参与集体经济项目。艾草种植渐成规模，从几百亩发展到数千亩，成为西南地区最大的艾草全产业链基地。同时以传统工艺为基础，运用现代工艺，开发出30多款艾草衍生产品，远销欧美、日韩等国家。

近年来，公司先后获评“重庆市级龙头企业”“乡村振兴示范企业”，旗下品牌“原乡小艾”获得“中国农产品百强标志性品牌”“全国名特优新农产品”等荣誉，开创的“老陈艾养身品传统制作技艺”入选铜梁区第四批非物质文化遗产。

艾香绵延 让艾文化传向世界

外国友人在第二届中国西部国际投资贸易洽谈会了解“原乡小艾”产品。

艾文化在中国延续数千年，独具魅力。为了吸引更多人喜欢艾草，传承和弘扬艾文化，陈平还推出了艾香制作体验课、非遗文化展示和研习班、艾灸服务与技能培训等。“希望大家通过体验‘艾’、享受‘艾’、爱上‘艾’。”陈平表示。

艾草悠悠，如何将其香气散播至全世界？这个难题一直萦绕在陈平心中。在琢磨传承的同时，他更努力推动艾草“出海”，让世界感受中华传统文化的独特韵味。

2019年，陈平携“原乡小艾”香包、灸条、精油等特色产品亮相第二届中国西部国际投资贸易洽谈会铜梁展厅。开幕当天，展台上的艾草产品销售一空。更让陈平欣喜的是，产品还引起了不少外国友人的关注。

      

2021年，“走进四季·爱上万物”渝港澳青少年自然探索大赛公益活动走进铜梁，百余名青少年走进“原乡小艾”艾草基地，识艾草、种艾草、画艾草、写艾草、编艾环、扎艾株、卷艾条、学艾灸，了解中华传统文化，共同探索艾草的神奇魅力。

      “艾草的魅力正在被越来越多的人熟知，我将继续为‘艾’奋斗，让艾产品走进千家万户，让铜梁艾草香飘世界。”陈平说。

文/刘丁睿

图/邓思源 受访者提供