Famous drugstore in Beijing: Lerentang
By admin on 2014-12-23

Lerentang Drugstore was originally called Le Shou Tang Drugstore and was founded by Le Youshen, grandson of the Tongrentang tenth generation Le Yinchuan in 1923. Mr. Le had studied in France and knew well the drug industry. He depended on his uncle and opened Le Shou Tang Drugstore at Xidan North Avenue after completion of his study in 1923.

The name of Le Shou Tang, expressing goodness and warmness, came from the Summer Palace. It was one of Tongrentang branches in Beijing.

Lerentang mainly sells bolus, powder, ointment, decoction of herbal medicine and drinkable slices. The architecture style and facilities of Lerentang take the model of Tongrentang. Le Jia Old Drugstore on the door stele said obviously that it was the branch of Tongrentang.

Lerentang took the model of "store in front and factory at back"; all medicines it sold were manufactured by itself. It strictly followed ancestors' motto of no scamping of work or stinting of material. Lerentang kept its reputation via the credendum: real materials, polished process, unique recipes and equal and fair.

Employees of Lerentang Drugstore were required to be familiar with drugs and traditional medicine. Some old employees were "half doctors" and "drug drawers". Mr. Le preferred employing people that were close relatives themselves, for instance, grandfather and grandson, father and son, uncle and nephew, and brothers, so that employees could manage themselves. It would embroil a chain of people if there were any mistakes. Therefore, all of the employees followed regulations and rules.

Mr. Le built a deer garden in the south of Beijing and raised nearly 1,000 spotted deer. The deer heads were used to make medicines. He also raised black chickens for making Wujibaifeng bolus, a drug relieving pains of women in their period, and employed workers to plant all sorts of fresh drug materials to make medicines.