Chongqing - At the height of summer, the Artemisia annua crop is ripe for harvest. In the townships of Chongqing Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, the Artemisia annua plants are flourishing, filling the air with their unique aroma. This plant, once dubbed the "eastern magic medicine" for its antimalarial properties, has turned Youyang into the global capital of artemisia medicine.
An Artemisia annua planting base in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County. (Photo/ Chen Bisheng)
Artemisia annua, often referred to as sweet wormwood, is a Chinese medicinal herb with proven antimalarial effectiveness.
Youyang boasts the world's first and only GAP-certified Artemisia annua planting base. It has earned national geographical indications and was included in the first batch of Chinese and European lists of protected geographical indications.
Youyang Artemisia annua helps treat malaria
In the early 1960s, controlling the global malaria epidemic was challenging. In 1967, China rallied its resources to combat malaria, discovering that the Artemisia annua sample from Youyang contained the highest concentration of artemisinin. Researchers estimate that the annual reserves of Artemisia annua in Youyang exceed 3.35 million kilograms, establishing Youyang as the world's most significant Artemisia annua base and the highest content of artemisinin worldwide.
Youyang's unique climate contributes to its superior artemisinin yield. Located in Wuling Mountain's heartland, Youyang's average altitude of 800 meters falls within the subtropical humid monsoon climate zone, perfect for Artemisia annua growth.
The annual output value of 109 million yuan
Youyang cultivates Artemisia annua over 70,000 mu (about 4,667 hectares). In 2022, Youyang produced 10,000 tons of Artemisia valued at 109 million yuan (about 15.1 million U.S. dollars). The annual output value of artemisinin and its derivatives stands at about 120 million yuan.
Technicians are checking the growth of Artemisia annua. (Photo/ Chen Bisheng)
"Five years ago, I began to grow Artemisia annua. The work isn't heavy, and I can earn money by myself. Life is much better," says Ran Maozhen, a resident of Cangling Town in Youyang, whose left-hand disability prevents him from heavy labor.
Nobel laureate Tu Youyou received the 2015 Prize for Medicine/Physiology for discovering artemisinin, a malaria treatment that has saved millions worldwide.
Since 2021, Youyang has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where Tu Youyou's team is located, Southwest University, and Western (Chongqing) Science City Germplasm Creation of the Great Science Center. The agreement aims to promote breeding high-quality Artemisia annua varieties, standardize professional cultivation, develop high-value products, and advance pharmaceutical science.
A new strain of Artemisia annua with an artemisinin content of 2.7% has been cultivated, significantly increasing yield.
A 10 billion-level industry cluster
Situated in Youyang Banxi Light Industrial Park, Chongqing Wuling Mountain Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is home to the world's first artemisinin factory and China's first industrialized artemisinin production line. The production of artemether and dihydroartemisinin has received the World Health Organization's prequalification.
The company has built five production lines, with an annual output of 150 tons of artemisinin and its derivatives, making it the most comprehensive international artemisinin raw materials and pharmaceutical production base.
Now, Youyang is developing an artemisinin talent training base, an artemisinin R&D center, an artemisinin big health industrial park, an artemisinin museum, an artemisinin culture festival, and is striving to build a 10 billion yuan artemisinin industry cluster within five years. This endeavor underlines Youyang's commitment to promoting the globalization of traditional Chinese medicine through the power of artemisinin.