A worker takes forsythia leaves to baking machines at the herbal tea factory in Shanxi. ZHANG DAN/FOR CHINA DAILY

In Yicheng county in the south of Shanxi province, local businesspeople and officials are happy to see a centuries-old industry relating to the medical herb of forsythia develop into an extended value chain covering traditional Chinese medicines, tea beverage and tourism.

Forsythia is a medical herb commonly seen in the north of China. It has been used for making medicines for thousands of years.

According to TCM experts, medicines using forsythia as ingredient can help people control their body temperature, clear away phlegm and improve their immunity.

Yicheng is one of the counties in Shanxi with a reputation for quality forsythia. People in the county have recently found that the value of forsythia is not limited to making medicines.

Yicheng Investment Group, a local company, recently launched a dozen forsythia tea products to meet market demand for health food.

"During a trade show held in Taiyuan on Aug 22, we debuted more than 10 varieties of forsythia tea into the market," said Wang Hongxing, executive director of the company."We received a good number of orders for the products for the expected sales surge during the National Day and Middle Autumn Festival holidays in October."