Coke may be the world's most popular beverage but in China, it has a very tough competitor - Wang Lao Ji, a beverage made with herbal medicine. This Guangdong herbal tea brand is now a leading household name in the domestic market and is especially loved by the people who enjoy eating hot and spicy or deep fried foods.

Herbal tea has long been one of Guangdong's most precious and widely used heritages. Besides the ready-to-drink herbal teas, Guangdong also has advanced traditional Chinese medical science and herbal medicine industries, thanks to the provincial government's support and local dependence on traditional medical treatments.

In January last year, Guangdong brought together a team of six top provincial leaders with an aim to revive traditional Chinese medical science and herbal medicine industries.

In the past 12 months, 90-year-old Chinese medicine expert Deng Tietao convened some new and cutting-edge research, many experienced doctors and traditional Chinese medicine centres received wider recognition and the province became the biggest ready-to-serve herbal medicine producer in China. The local herbal treatments have also become increasingly popular overseas.

SUPPORT TO HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS
A 300 million RMB plan has been put into effect to stimulate the development of traditional Chinese medical hospitals from 2006 to 2008. Every famous traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Pearl River Delta will receive a two million RMB fund while hospitals in other regions receive three million RMB each. Another 100 million RMB will go to 200 traditional Chinese medicine departments of the hospitals in the province while experienced doctors receive special subsidies for directing new practitioners.

These funded units and doctors had a very satisfying performance in 2006 as 12 new traditional Chinese medical science projects received the central government's approval. A total of 12 counties were honoured state-level or province-level model counties in Chinese medical science. Up to 20 new clinical Chinese medicines were promoted throughout the entire province. A Chinese medical diagnostic textbook, written by over 60 experts, was published and became popular among Chinese medical practitioners through-out the province.

The government also organized the doctors to have exchanges with their counterparts working in Hong Kong, Macao, other PPRD member provinces, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, through which several cooperative projects were launched. In 2007, more academies and outpatient services of Chinese medicines will be launched.

HERBAL MEDICINE INDUSTRY
In the first three quarters of last year, Guangdong sold 6.32 billion RMB in Chinese herbal medicines, up 14 percent year-on-year and occupied up to 7 percent of China's total sales. The province produced 97,000 tons of ready-to-serve Chinese medicines, or 13 percent of the country's total.

The herbal tea brand Huang Zhen Long also opened beverage shops throughout the Pearl River Delta cities. In the next five years, the province will launch a series of projects to support key enterprises and their Chinese herbal medicine products.

Meanwhile, many older Chinese medicine manufacturers merged with Hong Kong enterprises, absorbing capital and advanced management systems. Xing-qun Company, together with Hong Kong University of Technology, achieved a breakthrough in manufacturing a new herbal medicament for bird flu prevention.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Guangdong officials implemented a "Chinese Traditional Medical Science Innovation Project" last year, supporting research for adopting Chinese Traditional Medicine treatment on both common and severe diseases. The government also funded herbal medicine R&D and related regional communication and cooperation. Through these funded projects, Guangdong's Chinese Traditional Medical Science team grew rapidly.

Last year, 15 out of 370 research projects made great breakthroughs in primary experiments and clinical medicine for heart and lung diseases as well as Alzheimer's disease.

Editor: Wing