Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread held in Beijing

The Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread is held in Beijing on Oct. 13, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Zou Le)

Shizhu goldthread, a geo-authentic Chinese medicinal herb, was showcased to the world at the Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread in Beijing on Oct. 13, marking the first time the herb has been promoted internationally at an event of this kind.

Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, located in the Wuling Mountains of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, is the native habitat of Chinese goldthread, with a history of medicinal use spanning a millennium and cultivation dating back 700 years. Its goldthread variety serves as the reference sample for the goldthread standard in the current edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, an official compendium of drugs covering traditional Chinese and Western medicines.

Jiang Jiandong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Institute of Materia Medica under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, speaks at the Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread. (People's Daily Online/Zou Le)

"Goldthread is a gift from nature to human health," said Jiang Jiandong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Institute of Materia Medica under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

He said Shizhu county is a major source of geo-authentic goldthread in China and that the herb is rich in berberine, its main active compound. The growing use of berberine reflects its increasing recognition worldwide, he added.

Shizhu has promoted eco-friendly cultivation, standardized production and technology-driven development of goldthread, helping farmers increase their incomes, said Guang Defu, former Chinese ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and former chief agronomist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Guang Defu, former Chinese ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and former chief agronomist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, speaks at the Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread. (People's Daily Online/Zou Le)

The county's 83,000 mu (5,533 hectares) of goldthread plantations cover 18 towns and townships and involve 11,000 households, bringing wealth to locals.

Guang added that Shizhu's efforts to develop the goldthread industry exemplify the broader push to develop distinctive industries in the Wuling Mountains and offer a useful reference for regions that produce medicinal herbs nationwide.

Tang Weihong, vice president of People's Daily Online, said the platform would draw on its strengths in communication, platform integration and resource coordination to help more people learn about and appreciate Shizhu goldthread.

Tang Weihong, vice president of People's Daily Online, speaks at the Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread. (People's Daily Online/Zou Le)

Tang Hongfang, Party chief of the county, said Shizhu has built the world's first goldthread germplasm nursery and the world's largest goldthread plantation meeting Good Agricultural Practice standards. The county's goldthread cultivation area accounts for 60 percent of China's total and 50 percent of the world's.

The county has also established China's first key laboratory for goldthread deep processing. Its goldthread trading market, the country's largest, handles over 90 percent of China's total trading volume.

Tang Hongfang, Party secretary of Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, speaks at the Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread. (People's Daily Online/Zou Le)

The official said Shizhu is ready to share its germplasm resources with the world and invited research teams, pharmaceutical firms and traders to join its efforts to become "the world's capital of goldthread."

The conference concluded with a brand show featuring goldthread products for medicinal use, dietary therapy, household and personal care, and cultural and creative applications.

A brand show of Shizhu goldthread products is staged at the Global Promotion Conference for Shizhu Goldthread. (People's Daily Online/Zou Le)