Why was CCTV’s “Herbal Fragrance” filmed at JibaiChuan?

In 2024, CCTV-1’s highly anticipated series “Herbal Fragrance” truly lived up to its reputation as a standout masterpiece, setting the cultural scene ablaze!

01

Phenomenal popularity, leading a cultural craze.

Let’s start with a set of striking statistics.

As of December 17, 2024, the audience for “Herbal Fragrance” has surged steadily, approaching 132 million viewers. On television, the cumulative reach of its 10 episodes has soared to an impressive 361 million. These ratings represent a true ceiling, firmly securing the top spot among all national satellite channels during the same time slot. The highest single-episode rating reached 1.19%, shattering CCTV‑1’s 17-year record for evening‑time documentaries, while the peak share also hit 6.71%.

The online buzz was equally explosive, with related Weibo topics amassing a cumulative 426 million views and the platform’s trending list featuring the show a total of 227 times. From the moment it premiered, the program won over audiences with its captivating portrayal of traditional Chinese medicine, quickly capturing viewers’ hearts. Through vivid visuals and meticulously researched content, it unveiled the fascinating stories behind many precious medicinal herbs, offering a comprehensive glimpse into the profound depth and richness of TCM culture—actions that left netizens exclaiming, “Awesome!”

For a time, a wave of enthusiasm for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) swept across the country, with people eagerly joining in lively discussions. Mainstream outlets such as People’s Daily and Xinhua News Agency also reported on and shared these conversations, causing TCM culture’s influence among the public to soar.

02

Focus on “Xianzhi Ruyi”: A Serendipitous Encounter with the Marvelous Lingzhi Mushroom

At 6:20 p.m. on December 24, 2024, CCTV-1, the Comprehensive Channel of China Central Television, was broadcasting Episode 9 of the documentary “Fragrance of Materia Medica,” titled “Immortal Mushroom and Auspicious Staff—Lingzhi.”

The film gently unfolds the story of lingzhi as seen through the eyes of ancient peoples, the challenging reproductive strategies of wild lingzhi, the unique environments and stringent conditions required for its growth in the wild, the enduring bond between lingzhi and humanity, its rich medicinal history, and the cultural meanings it embodies—such as auspiciousness and good fortune, wealth and harmony, and health and longevity.

In this approximately 30-minute documentary, viewers are taken on a journey that spans both ancient history—tracing the origins of lingzhi, exploring archaeological discoveries, and examining its mentions in classical texts—and contemporary insights into lingzhi culture and the principle of “food and medicine sharing a common origin.” The film offers a comprehensive account of Xianzhi Ruyi—the “past and present” of lingzhi.

03

The Key to JibaiChuan’s Alignment with CCTV’s Original Vision

“As a documentary series co-produced by China Media Group and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, ‘The Fragrance of Materia Medica’ is committed to authentically portraying the true essence of lingzhi and systematically presenting its cultural heritage. Consequently, the choice of footage and subjects during filming assumes particular significance.”

Zhejiang JibaiChuan Pharmaceutical is honored to have been chosen as the filming location for “Herbal Fragrance: Immortal Herb, Auspicious Wish—Lingzhi”!

The JibaiChuan brand was founded in 1859. Born of lingzhi, for more than 160 years, JibaiChuan has been dedicated to cultivating only the finest lingzhi.

Zhejiang JibaiChuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is located in Pan’an County, Zhejiang Province—the “hometown of Chinese medicinal materials.” Guided by the mission “to make traditional Chinese medicine more effective and to promote healthier lives,” the company has established a wild‑cultivation base for Ganoderma lucidum within the Dapan Mountain National Nature Reserve, its authentic production area, bringing this revered mushroom back to the deep mountains, the wild, and the pristine forests.

By allowing lingzhi to grow in its natural, wild environment—experiencing the trials of sun and dew, the changing seasons—this mushroom regains the splendor of its wild origins and retains the medicinal value of its untamed counterpart. It is here, deep in the high mountains far from the hustle and bustle, beside crystal‑clear, sweet mountain spring water, and in the very forms that only wild‑grown lingzhi can assume, that the production team of “Herbal Fragrance” captured the essence of this revered herb. As a result, JibaiChuan’s lingzhi became the ideal subject for filming and the perfect backdrop for the program.

It lets those of us in front of the screen behold the wild lingzhi’s true, majestic splendor.

Ji Baichuan not only brings lingzhi “home,” but more importantly, it serves as both a custodian and a promoter of lingzhi culture. The company has established the renowned Oriental Lingzhi Culture Museum, which stands as the most comprehensively organized and systematically structured institution of its kind in China.

At the Oriental Ganoderma Culture Museum, the documentary “Fragrance of Materia Medica” comprehensively showcases ganoderma’s symbolic associations with auspiciousness, fulfillment, harmony, beauty, longevity, and well-being; explores the application of the ruyi shape and ruyi motifs in everyday life; and highlights the dual culinary‑and‑medicinal uses of ganoderma in modern living. Within the museum, visitors can also view woodcarvings of “deer bearing ganoderma,” stone sculptures of cranes clutching ganoderma, and the authentic forms of the six types of ganoderma—red, green, purple, black, yellow, and white—as depicted in classical herbal texts.

As a pharmaceutical company that “started late but began at a high level” in the ganoderma industry, Zhejiang JibaiChuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has built its reputation through culture and earned widespread recognition for its superior quality. The filming and broadcast of the program “Herbal Fragrance—Xianzhi Ruyi: Ganoderma,” undoubtedly represents a strong endorsement of JibaiChuan’s “wild‑cultivation” product philosophy and a further tribute to the exceptional quality of its ganoderma spore powder.

As consumer demand for high-quality products continues to grow, we are confident that Jibai Chuan Ye Hua Lingzhi Spore Powder will win the favor of an ever‑wider audience.

“As a painstakingly crafted production by CCTV, ‘Herbal Fragrance’ offers an in-depth exploration and widespread dissemination of the treasured heritage of traditional Chinese medicine. We believe that, in the years to come, more people will be drawn into this world through this documentary and come to cherish the culture of TCM. Ji Baichuan, too, will go all out in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, contributing our strength to the advancement of this vital cause. Let us look forward together to seeing TCM culture shine with even greater splendor in the new era!”