Specialized tribunal provides judicial services at Gansu herb market

At the Shouyang medicinal herb market in Longxi county of Dingxi, Gansu province, traders buy and sell astragalus root and other traditional Chinese medicine materials, often in large quantities and to buyers from across the country. But delayed payments and disputes over product quality can disrupt business and strain trading relationships.

Known as the "Millennium Medicine Town", Dingxi is a major hub for TCM herbs. The city is home to 135 of the 363 major medicinal herb varieties identified in a national survey, including angelica, codonopsis, and astragalus. In 2025, Dingxi's TCM industry generated 55.3 billion yuan ($8.3 billion) in output value, accounting for about half of the industry's provincial total. It has become a key driver of the local economy and an important source of income for farmers.

Longxi is one of Dingxi's medicinal herb-producing areas. In August 2023, the Shouyang People's Tribunal established the Huangqi Tribunal near the medicinal herb market to provide specialized judicial services for Longxi's TCM herb industry. In addition to handling related cases, the tribunal offers legal advice on contracts, visits the market to identify potential risks, and works with regulators, industry associations, and testing institutions to prevent conflicts from escalating.

"We aim not only to resolve disputes, but also to identify legal risks early and help businesses operate in a more standardized way," said Cai Yidie, deputy head of the Shouyang People's Tribunal of Longxi County People's Court.

For Sun Min, a TCM trader with more than 30 years of experience, delayed payments and poorly documented IOUs have long been concerns. Tribunal staff regularly visit the market to explain how to document debts properly and preserve evidence. "They explain how to write an IOU properly and what evidence we need to protect our rights," Sun said.

The tribunal also draws on technical expertise to handle disputes over medicinal herb quality. Yang Hongqing, technical director at the Gansu Digital Herbal Medicine Testing Center, is a consultant to the tribunal. He helps explain testing data and technical standards in cases involving active ingredient content, pesticide residues, and heavy metals.

In one dispute over the astragaloside IV content of astragalus, the two parties interpreted the same testing report in completely different ways. Yang explained the relevant standards in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the applicability of the testing methods, and how the results should be interpreted. The dispute was eventually resolved through mediation, with both parties accepting the outcome.

"By applying professional knowledge to support judicial fairness, we can also help market participants understand the importance of letting the data speak for itself," Yang said.