Of the 1,892 types of Chinese medicinal herbs on record, more than 1,000 can be found in a four- hectare garden at a botanical research institute in Hubei Province, a place regarded as a medicinal herbs gene bank.

Since 1956 when the garden, known as Bencao Garden, was founded, researchers have scoured the country to collect varies types of medically viable herbs, from grosvenor momordica, which grows in remote mountain areas, to saffron found on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The garden is designed to recreate the natural habitats of the herbs to help preserve as much of their natural medicinal qualities as possible.

Scientists are using gene technology to optimize the curative qualities of the herbs Wang Qing, director of the garden, said.

Some 200,000 herb farmers, accounting for a fourth of the local population live in Qichun of Hubei Province, hometown of China's most prestigious herbal healer, Li Shizhen, s

They produce over 700 varieties of herbs, and those bearing the brand name "Li Shizhen" sell well here and overseas.

The local herb wholesale market has become the third largest in the country with 560 million yuan of annual trading volume.

Officials of the local government are confident of the medicinal herb business, saying that Hong Kong's plan to build the world's largest entry port of herbs will offer opportunities for them.