The nomenclature and ancient origin stories of Chinese herbs reflect not only the functional medicinal qualities and morphology of the herbs, but also a rich history steeped in legend and regional culture. Tian Qi, also known as Tian San Qi or Panax notoginseng, has had various names throughout history, such as Shan Qi 山漆 “mountain lacquer”, Jin Bu Huan 金不换”not to be exchanged for gold” (signifying how precious it was), and Xue Shen 血参 “blood ginseng” among many others. Its most commonly used names throughout history are San Qi 三七 “three seven”,和, Tian Qi田七 “field seven”, and Shen San Qi参三七 “ginseng three seven”, with San Qi being the legal name in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (PPRC).
Ming dynasty physician Li Shizhen stated in his Ben Cao Gang Mu 本草綱目 Compendium of Materia Medica, "People say that its leaves have three on the left and four on the right (note: leaves should refer to small leaves), hence the name San Qi, but this is probably not true. Some say that its original name is Shan Qi, because it can heal wounds like lacquer sticks to things, which is closer to the truth. Jinbuhuan is a name for something precious."
In his book Illustrated Compendium of Plants, or Zhiwu Ming Shi Tu Kao 植物名实图考, Qing dynasty botanist and scholar Wu Qijun 吴其濬 recorded that he asked the prefect of Guangnan (present-day southeastern Yunnan) about this herb in a letter, who replied, "Three stems and seven leaves, it fears the sun and dislikes rain; the local chieftain benefits from it..." This book was compiled based on Wu Qijun’s long-term field investigations and extensive data collection. Although the author did not personally investigate Panax notoginseng and obtained information through correspondence, the Compendium is worth referencing for its varietal verification of hundreds of plants. This description of San Qi, based on plant morphology, suggests that it was named for its "three leaves on the left and four on the right" or "three branches and seven leaves." While this does not conform to modern botanical descriptions, it has some merit and is quite similar to the ancient description of Ren Shen, or Panax ginseng as having "three branches and five leaves."
Dr. Yang Chongren 杨崇仁 an eminent researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, believes that the origin of the name San Qi should be traced back to the languages of the ethnic groups that first used it. The Miao people of southwestern Guangxi and southern Yunnan were among the first to discover and utilize this herb. In the Miao language, San Qi is called “Shan Cai" (the Cai pronounced more like “chei”), meaning “mountain medicine”. The Han Chinese, based on its description of "sticking on sores like lacquer," used a homophone to call it "Shan Qi" (mountain lacquer), which was later simplified to "San Qi." According to Professor Yang, the name "San Qi" seems to be a combination of the Miao "Shan Cai" and the Han "Shan Qi," reflecting the integration of traditional Chinese medicine with other ethnic groups.
Unsurprisingly, there are other explanations for the name San Qi as well. One interesting example is from the book Yunnan San Qi from 1988 by leading scholar and expert in the fields of traditional Chinese medicine and agronomy Dr. Dong Feizhao 董费兆 , which postulates that it was named is due to its cultivation characteristics. San Qi requires a 30% sunlight and 70% shade environment for cultivation, takes three years to grow, sprouts in the third month of March and is harvested in the seventh month, or July, hence the name "San Qi" 三七 or “three-seven”.
Being that it’s Chinese medicine, there are also a few legends surrounding the origin of its name, and here are two of my favorites.
Story 1
Long ago, a young man named Zhang Er fell ill, bleeding profusely from all seven orifices (which in Chinese medicine references the primary sensory organs of the head: both eyes, both nostrils, both ears, and the mouth). His illness persisted and couldn’t be cured despite various treatments. Finally, a Doctor Tian passed through the town, and hearing about the awful condition of the young man, took out a few small roots, ground them into powder, and gave it to Zhang Er to swallow. Soon, the bleeding stopped. Zhang Er's family was extremely grateful and begged the doctor to give them some seeds of this miraculous herb.
By the following year, the plants at Zhang Er's house had grown lush and vigorous. Coincidentally, around that time the prefect's only daughter suffered from bleeding disorders, and various treatments had failed to improve her condition. Upon hearing this, Zhang Er dug up some of the roots of the miracle herb in his garden, ground them into powder, and offered it to the prefect, who having heard of Zhang Er’s story, immediately gave some to his daughter to swallow. Unfortunately, however, less than an hour later the daughter died. The prefect was furious and ordered Zhang Er to be bound and severely tortured, forcing him to reveal the truth. After Zhang Er’s explanation, the prefect then had Doctor Tian found and arrested and charged him with murder, fully intending to have him executed. At his trial, Doctor Tian explained to the prefect, "These herbs are effective for various bleeding disorders, but they must grow for 3 to 7 years to be effective. The herbs Zhang Er used were only one year old and had no medicinal properties; of course they couldn't save the young lady." The doctor then took a sharp knife from a bailiff and proceeded to make a deep cut into his own thigh, which naturally started to bleed profusely. He quickly reached into his medicine bag and took out a small sack of the miraculous herb powder. After swallowing some, he applied it externally, and immediately the bleeding stopped, and a scab formed. All present were astonished, and the prefect had no choice but to release Doctor Tian. To remember this lesson, the people named this miraculous herb "San Qi," indicating that it must grow for 3 to 7 years to be effective.
Story 2
Legend has it that a beautiful and kind fairy came to earth and taught people how to cultivate crops. One day, while the fairy was working in a field, a large black bear suddenly pounced on her. In that critical moment, a young Miao man named Ka Xiang saw what was happening and quickly killed the bear with an arrow, thus saving the fairy’s life.
Ka Xiang's family was very poor, and when the grateful fairy found out that his mother had been ill for many years, she told Ka Xiang, "There is a special herb on the back hillside mostly growing in the shade. Its leaves resemble my long skirt, and its branches resemble my belt. It can cure your mother's illness." Ka Xiang found the herb and decocted its roots following the fairy’s instructions. After his mother took it a few times, she was cured. Ka Xiang then used this herb to cure the illnesses of many other villagers.
The grateful villagers flocked to Ka Xiang's house to thank the fairy for her kindness. They asked her what the miraculous herb was called. The fairy smiled and said, "Everyone, take a look at the plant and count how many branches and leaves it has." The villagers saw that it had three branches and seven leaves. A clever little girl immediately exclaimed, "San Qi!" and from then on, this miraculous herb became known as San Qi, or “three seven”.
For modern practitioners, Tian San Qi is used clinically to promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, reduce swelling, relieve pain, and to nourish and strengthen the body. With its unique ability to both move the blood and stop bleeding, it is considered one of the most important herbs in traditional Chinese medicine for treating traumatic injuries both internally and externally.
