On May 27, “The Ginseng Fragrance of the Travel Route” Changbai Mountain Ginseng Culture & Trade Tour (Malaysia Leg) grandly kicked off in Kuala Lumpur. Centering on ginseng as a bond, cultural exchange and commercial collaboration, the event fully showcased the profound cultural heritage, scientific value and industrial strength of Changbai Mountain ginseng. It deepened cultural exchanges of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and cross-border trade cooperation between China and Malaysia, and boosted the global expansion of Jilin’s signature “Ji-brand” industries across Southeast Asia and international markets.
Sun Shuqiang, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia; Chen Yaohui, Head of the Jilin Provincial Delegation and Leader of the Special Working Group for High-quality Development of the Ginseng Industry; Zhang Yuwei, Director of Jilin Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine;the leaders of Malaysia Northeast China General Chamber of Commerce and Malaysia-China Education Association, distinguished political, business and TCM representatives from Malaysia, as well as entrepreneurs from both countries attended the ceremony.
In his address, Sun Shuqiang stated that China and Malaysia share profound cultural ties and long-standing friendship. TCM and ginseng culture enjoy extensive popularity and solid foundations in Southeast Asia. The event serves as an excellent platform for bilateral TCM exchanges and featured industrial cooperation, facilitating the introduction of premium Changbai Mountain ginseng products and traditional wellness wisdom to Southeast Asia, and advancing in-depth economic, trade and people-to-people cooperation between the two nations.
Chen Yaohui introduced that Changbai Mountain ginseng stands as a iconic business card and pivotal industry of Jilin Province. In recent years, Jilin has established a Special Task Force to advance high-quality ginseng industry development, focusing on seven key areas: germplasm conservation, intensive processing, standard formulation, market supervision, scientific and technological innovation, brand marketing and cultural promotion. Efforts have been made to advance the industry toward large-scale, standardized, branded and internationalized growth. The industrial output value of ginseng in Jilin exceeded 100 billion yuan in 2025, demonstrating robust development momentum. Held in Malaysia, this event aims to deepen bilateral cooperation, extend the millennia-old legacy of ginseng overseas and jointly explore new industrial development opportunities.
A promotional video featuring Changbai Mountain Ginseng, a national geographical indication product of China mutually recognized by China and the European Union, was played on site. Endowed with authentic producing origins, superior quality and authoritative certification, it lays a solid quality foundation for international development.
Two plaque awarding ceremonies were held. The Jilin Provincial Ginseng Chamber of Commerce was granted the plaque of Jilin Changbai Mountain Ginseng Southeast Asia Operation, Exhibition and Trading Center. The China-Malaysia Zhongjing TCM Center was awarded the title of TCM (Changbai Mountain Ginseng) Cultural Education Base. The two platforms will support regular exhibition, trading, cultural dissemination and long-term cooperation of Changbai Mountain ginseng in Southeast Asia.
During the cultural exchange session, Dr. Li Dazhi, President of KL International Chinese Medicine Hospital, and Professor Li Xiangyan from Changchun University of Chinese Medicine delivered speeches covering overseas application, scientific value and wellness philosophy, popularizing rational ginseng consumption and its global development trends. Martial arts performances including Tai Chi and Baduanjin were presented, allowing guests to experience the charm of traditional Chinese wellness culture.
Fifteen exhibition booths were set up, displaying ginseng products, providing free TCM consultations, showcasing ginseng medicinal cuisine, cultural and creative works as well as traditional handcrafts, creating an all-round experience and communication venue. In the afternoon, local ginseng enterprises held product roadshows to cater to market demands in Malaysia.
A collective signing ceremony took place. China Dongfanghong American Ginseng Pharmaceutical (Tonghua) Co., Ltd., Jilin Xuanshangyi Changbai Ginseng Industry Co., Ltd. and ARA Henan Yizhen Halal Certification Service Co., Ltd. signed cooperation agreements on halal certification, market access and overseas sales, injecting strong impetus for Changbai Mountain ginseng to take root in Malaysia and expand across Southeast Asia.
This event marks a crucial step in the international layout of Changbai Mountain ginseng industry. Integrating cultural dissemination, brand display, business docking and project signing, it builds a solid bridge for cultural mutual learning, trade connectivity and industrial win-win cooperation between China and Malaysia. Going forward, Jilin will consistently promote high-quality growth and international expansion of the ginseng industry, further deepen bilateral friendly ties and overseas promotion of TCM culture. It will carry the fame of Changbai Mountain ginseng far and wide, bring benefits of the”King of Herbs”to households worldwide, and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to global public health.
