Cutting, grinding and stirring — Andrill Shamrai, an international student from Ukraine, is preoccupied with making Guiling jelly. 

During a visit to Wuzhou in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in October, a group of expats went to Zhongheng Group, a leading pharmaceutical company in the region, and tried their hand at making its featured product.

Andrill Shamrai, an international student and online celebrity from Ukraine, tries herb grinding, a critical step to make Guiling jelly. [Photo by Li Xijing/chinadaily.com.cn]  

Made from a variety of herbs such as honeysuckle and dandelion, Guiling jelly is popular in southern China for its refreshing taste and health benefits. The 20-step process for making it has been passed down for eight generations.

In June 2021, the preparation technique for Guiling jelly was added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage. 

Zhongheng has been leading the charge in the protection and promotion of Guiling jelly. Its subsidiary Guangxi Wuzhou Double Coins Co Ltd has established modernized production lines with advanced technologies and boosted the brand, which has received geographical indication recognition.

To provide more convenience to consumers, Double Coins has upgraded its packaging and launched new products, including canned drinks.

Foreign visitors try specialty herbal products at Zhongheng Group in Wuzhou. [Photo by Li Xijing/chinadaily.com.cn]  

Beyond health food, Zhongheng also does pharmaceutical research and development. 

Widely used in treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Xueshuantong is a patented TCM injection originally developed and manufactured by Zhongheng.

In recent years, the company has done research on pseudo-ginseng, a ginger-like herb that can promote blood circulation. A related achievement was granted a second-class award at the National Science and Technology Progress Awards in 2016.

Mo Hongsheng, chairman of Zhongheng Group, attaches a great deal of importance to inheriting, developing and utilizing traditional Chinese medicine. "We should establish a good environment for high-quality growth of TCM industries and help TCM products benefit more people," he said.