In Qichun, I smelled a medicinal fragrance that was not medicine
To be honest, I didn't believe this before.
When talking about mugwort, acupuncture, and meridians, I always feel that these are the kind of mysterious and mysterious theories that only old people believe. Until last year when I went for a physical examination, the doctor stared at my tongue coating for three seconds, then raised his head, opened his mouth and asked, "Have you been unable to sleep since the beginning?"
yes.
After turning thirty, sleep has become a luxury. I have tried counting sheep, melatonin, and white noise, but none of them work.
Later, someone told me that you should go to Qichun and try moxibustion.
Qichun.
This was the first time I heard of this place name. I found out with the help of Baidu that it was in Hubei, Li Shizhen’s hometown, and the core production area of Qi Ai. It sounded like a destination where a middle-aged and elderly tourist group would go.
But I went anyway.
The Ai Mansion in Daming Guyai is hidden on a not very busy road in the Qichun Economic Development Zone. Its door is not very conspicuous. The moment I opened the door, I was stunned.
This is not the moxibustion parlor in your impression. There is no smell of smoke or dark and greasy recliners. It is a minimalist Zen space with warm yellow lights and a faint scent of grass and trees filling the air, as if you have entered a B&B created by a designer.
The moment I lay down in the AI smart moxibustion cabin, I began to doubt my bias.
The capsule is made of environmentally friendly PP material, pure white, like a space capsule from the future.
Some staff placed several sensors on my body and selected a program called "Soothing the Mind and Assisting Sleep" in the mobile APP. Then, the cabin slowly closed.
Warmth spread from the lower back.
It's not the kind of heat that can make your nerves tense and scalding, but it's like a thoroughly sunburned quilt that wraps you up and penetrates in with a warm feeling. The AI system in the cabin will adjust the temperature on its own, which will not cause you to get burned, but will make you feel like every pore in your body is open and breathing.
I actually fell asleep.
When I woke up, my back was covered in sweat, but I felt sober as never before.
The staff member handed over a cup of Qi Ai tea and said with a smile, "Eight out of ten people who come here for the first time will fall asleep."
Then I learned that what was being performed on me was "Century Moxibustion for Regulating Qi and Blood." This is a technique that has been passed down for hundreds of years. Special moxa and Chinese medicine are laid on the back, and the pure yang power of moxibustion is used to drive out the dampness and cold in the body.
Qichun's Daming mugwort has its own planting base, covering an area of more than 1,500 acres. It is planted in a way that imitates the wild. The volatile oil content of the Qichun mugwort they use can reach 1.5%, which is three times that of ordinary mugwort.
I have only seen these four words "authentic medicinal materials" in Chinese herbal medicine instructions in the past. That day, I was lying on the moxibustion bed, smelling the warm aroma, and suddenly realized that the smell emitted by burning high-quality moxa sticks was not smoke, but medicine.
They actually have 12 intangible cultural heritage skills
There is a sign hanging on the wall of Ai Mansion that reads "Chinese Time-honored Brand".
It was only then that I learned that the moxibustion skills possessed by this brand can be traced back to the secret recipe of Taiyuan Hospital in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. It was just selected into the protection list in 2023. There are now 12 intangible cultural heritage skills.
But they are not rustic.
I went to visit their product exhibition hall. The exhibition hall has three floors. The items displayed start from the most traditional moxa sticks and moxa velvet, followed by smart moxibustion devices and wearable devices, and then there are home textiles and skin care products made from moxa. The displayed items include a total of 18 series and more than 1,000 products.
There is a brand that has been engaged in moxibustion for nearly 20 years. It has things passed down from its ancestors. It has more than 30 patents and its products are sold to more than 20 countries.
This feeling of contrast is difficult to describe.
In the handmade moxa garden, I saw a group of young people rubbing moxa sticks
They wore white gloves and were skilled in their skills. In front of them was a pile of dried mugwort leaves.
The tour guide said that this land is their "handmade moxa garden". It welcomes more than 100,000 tourists every year. Children come here to learn how to make moxa sticks, young people come here to check in and take photos, and some foreign tourists come here to experience it.
For the first time, I learned that mugwort can be played like this.
Some people make mugwort into cakes, some make mugwort into sachets, and some people develop mugwort-dyed handicrafts. The industrial chain owned by Ai Gongguan has long been beyond simply “selling moxibustion”. They even cooperated with Douyin to carry out live broadcasts to bring goods, using digital technology to help Qiai achieve "breaking the circle".
On the day I left, I chatted with their investment manager for two hours.
Just out of curiosity.
When I was in Qichun during those days, I noticed that "Da Ming Guai" signs could be seen everywhere, in counties, towns, and even small supermarkets in villages, and they all sold its products. There are more than 200 chain stores across the country.
I asked them how they did it.
He said that the threshold for joining is actually not that high. The initial investment is in the range of 9,800 yuan to 100,000 yuan, and a store of 30 square meters can be opened. For those who want to start a business but do not have much money, this can be regarded as a good choice.
"But we're not leaving you to fight alone."
The headquarters will provide a full set of support from site selection and decoration, technical training to opening marketing. Moxibustion practitioners need to undergo 7 to 15 days of systematic training, and can only take up the job after passing the assessment. During the first three months of the opening of a new store, someone from the headquarters will be on site to help you go through the process.
What impresses me most is the supply chain.
Daming Guai, which has a planting base of more than 1,500 acres, controls cost and quality from the source. Its franchisees' purchasing costs are 20% to 30% lower than the market price. In this era, grasping the supply chain is like grasping the destiny.
"Our repurchase rate is 73%." When he said this, there was unconcealable pride on his face.
Late at night on the streets of Qichun, I suddenly figured out something
That night, I wandered alone in Qichun County.
On the silent streets, the dim yellow street lamps emitted a faint light, and the air was filled with the dry and cold feeling unique to small northern towns. Passing by a moxibustion parlor that was still operating as usual, through the glass door, one could see several old people inside lying on the moxibustion bed, eyes closed, with extremely soothing and relaxed expressions on their faces.
There was no noise, no anxiety, just moxa smoke rising slowly under the light.
I recall that when I was a child, my grandmother would dry mugwort in the yard. During the Dragon Boat Festival, mugwort would be hung on the door to "ward off evil spirits." At that time, I thought this was superstitious behavior, but now I understand that it is a way for Chinese people to get along with nature for thousands of years.
If you ask me, is Qichun worth going to?
If you are suffering from insomnia, shoulder and neck pain, or experiencing indescribable fatigue, I would say that it is feasible to give it a try.
It is not the mentality of "treating the disease", but to stop yourself, smell the smell of mugwort, and experience the feeling of warmth gradually penetrating into the body.
In September, there was a new store that had just opened in Wuhan. It was called Daming Guai·Ai Gongguan. If you don’t have time to go to Qichun, you can also go to this store in Wuhan.
If you want to open a store like this on your own, they are currently recruiting franchisees. Their phone number is 400-668-8225. The investment scale is small and the model is relatively flexible. It is suitable for those who are looking for something to do in the health industry.
I'm not qualified to make decisions for you.
But that night, after returning from Qichun, I fell asleep. This sleep has been the best in recent years. During the deep sleep, no dreams emerged, and I never woke up midway. It was as if I had returned to my childhood, an afternoon that was completely basked by the blazing sun, quiet and comfortable.
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