55th Zhangshu National Traditional Chinese Materia Medica Trade Fair held in Eastern China's Jiangxi

The 55th Zhangshu National Traditional Chinese Materia Medica Trade Fair kicked off on October 16 in Zhangshu, a county-level city in east China's Jiangxi Province, featuring the participation of more than 1,000 pharmaceutical and healthcare enterprises from all over the country.

At the opening ceremony, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published an international standard for gardenia jasminoides, the first traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) international standard in Jiangxi Province.

Shen Yuandong, chair of the ISO/TC249, a technical committee within the ISO, noted that the formal implementation of this international standard will further broaden the international trade routes of Zhangshu's gardenia jasminoides industry, and enhance the market competitiveness and international influence of Zhangshu's TCM industry.

The ten-day event is set to organize seven activities, including business exhibition and cultural events.

It is learned that about 14 projects with a total contract value of 8.58 billion yuan were signed on the opening day of the fair.

As one of the most historic and far-reaching events in the TCM industry, the fair has become an important platform for Chinese pharmaceutical companies to showcase brand products, promote industry exchanges, and achieve resource aggregation, information exchange, business cooperation as well as market exploitation.

In recent year, Zhangshu has strived to seize the development opportunities of the TCM industry, and transform industrial advantages into market competitiveness. At present, Zhangshu boasts 502 pharmaceutical enterprises, with a total traditional Chinese medicinal herbs planting area over 500,000 mu (about 33,333.33 hectares).