TongRenTang

Beijing’s oldest Chinese apothecary, TongRenTang, was founded in 1669 and received royal patronage in 1861. It is located just south of Tiananmen and today has expanded to having a large show-room for foreigners outside Beijing. I still prefer the smaller shop in old Beijing. Strolling into the pharmacy, one is impressed with its spaciousness and cleanliness. The shop has a traditional Chinese set-up at the frontage and at the interior. There are many pictures of the famous Chinese physicians and pharmacists, and a study of each picture is a historical synopsis of China’s contribution to medicine.

One cannot but be impressed with the historical stories of Bian Que , (whose attempt to save the life of Duke Huan of Qi failed because of the Duke’s ridicule), Hua Tuo, (who discovered an anesthetic called mafeisan, saved Kuan Yu of the Three Kingdom Period by excising an infected wound and who died at the hands of the infamous Cao Cao when he advised Cao Cao to have brain surgery for his headache) and Li Shizhen (the pharmacist par excellence who collected thousands of herbs and taking 27 years to complete his life work, the Compendium of Materia Medica , considered the best at his time.)

Tong Ren Tang has an interesting history on its own. It was started by the Le family, but in 1754, the pharmacy fell on difficult times and was taken over by an associate called Zhang Shiji, followed by more shares sold to outsiders. In the mid 1800s, the Le family had an heir, Le Pingquan, one with vision and dedication. He opened up another pharmacy called GuanRenTang, and started buying back TongRenTang, ultimately gaining full control of the pharmacy that his family lost earlier.

Le Pingquan utilized five principles of business to build up the TongRenTang. Firstly, he developed rapport as a government official and managed to get imperial patronage. Secondly, he was able to solicit funds on the basis of trust. Thirdly, he promoted Tong RenTang products as brand names from a charitable company by giving free medication to scholars coming to Beijing for the imperial exams as well as engaging in charity by sponsoring schools and food distribution centers, providing coffins for the poor and even setting up a fire brigade. Fourthly, he encouraged all his family members to participate in the pharmacy in a professional capacity, thereby preserving their pharmaceutical formulae. Lastly, he instigated research and the development of new drugs to increase the armentarium against new diseases and improve on the older formulae.

After the death of Le Pingquan, the pharmacy was run by his capable wife, Madame Xu, who stimulated further growth by giving her employees a remuneration of low pay but high commission. The pharmacy has continued to expand till today. With the interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) worldwide, the TongRenTang has gone international by opening branches in Hong Kong, London and Sydney. Tours to the TongRenTang show-room (which has its own English speaking guides and also provides free TCM consultations) can be arranged with any tour company in Beijing.