Despitehisdevotiontotradition,FengGenshengisaniconofthedecadessinceChina’sreformandopeningup.HistitlesincludethelastinheritorofHuQingYuTangdrugstore,soleinheritorofthenationalintangibleculturalheritageofthetraditionalChinesemedicine(TCM)sector,andlongestservingheadofaChinesestate-ownedenterprise.Andhecontinuesoperatingthecompanyattheageof82.
FoundedbyHuXueyan,anotablebusinessmaninthelateQingDynasty(1644-1911),HuQingYuTangdrugstoreopenedforbusiness142yearsago.FengGenshengbeganworkingatHuQingYuTangattheageof14.By2016,hehasspent68yearswiththecompany.
Overthepastnearlyoneandhalfcenturies,thecompanyhasdevelopeditsprofoundcultureofTCM–uncompromisingquality–Fengandhiscolleaguepharmacistshavebeentaughtandfollowedfromdayonetheystartedworkingforthisdrugstore.UnlikeWesterndrugs,Chineseherbalmedicinesrequireboiling,frying,bakingandmanyothercomplexproductionprocedures.“Asanapprentice,Ispent10hoursadayinthefactoryyear-round,”Fengrecalls.“Ilearnedtoendurehardship.LaterIwastransferredtotheextractiondepartment,whereIworked16hoursadayfortwoyearsstraight.Over100,000prescriptionswentthroughmeduringthatperiod.”
Aftersomanyyears,FengGenshenghasmemorizedthequality,potencyandefficacyofover2,000typesofmedicinalmaterialsandshowneffortlessmasteryofmedicinemaking.
Whenitwasfirstestablishedin1874,HuQingYuTangdrugstorefeaturedaworkshopwithashopinfrontandafactoryattheback.Afterbecomingapublic-privatepartnershipin1956,thecompanychangeditsnametoHuQingYuTangChineseMedicineStore.In1972,theoriginalfactorywassplitintotwosubdivisions.TheoriginalfactorywasrenamedHangzhouNo.1TraditionalChineseMedicineFactory.Theother,intheoutersuburbswestofHangzhou,wasupgradedandbecameHangzhou’ssecondChinesemedicinefactory,withFengGenshengasitsdirector.
Afterassumingoffice,Fengcarriedoutmajortechnologicaltransformationinthefactory,improvingproductionlines,andintroducingautomaticextractionandmechanizedpackaging.HeusheredthemakingofChinesemedicineintotheeraoflarge-scaleindustrialproduction.Alongtheway,thefactorywasexpandedanditsbuildingsimproved.InJune1982,journalistWilliamSextonoftheAssociatedPressreportedthedrugstoreislikeanyotheradvancedbiochemistryresearchcenterinBostonorNewYork,butforTCM.
Ultimately,thecentury-oldHangzhouNo.1TraditionalChineseMedicineFactoryhadbeenencounteringmoreandmoredifficultiesinthetideofmarketeconomy,andteeteredonthevergeofbankruptcyin1996duetoinefficientmanagement.
Buyingitbackwasfullofrisks,butFengGenshengdidnothesitatetotakethechance.Afterwards,hechangedthetraditionalbusinessmodelsandproposedpromotingthebrandwithitsreputation,famousphysiciansandhigh-qualitydrugs.Incorporatingmodernwaysofcommercialoperationinhistraditionaldrugbusiness,Fengopened“ClinicsofFamousPhysicians,”establishedHuQingYuTangPharmacy,andlaunchedtheHuQingYuTangMuseumofTraditionalChineseMedicines.WithFengGenshengatthehelm,HuQingYuTang’sbusinessscale,brandvalueandculturalreputationcontinuedtoimprove.
Fromasmalltraditionalworkshop140yearsago,HuQingYuTanghasevolvedintoalargemodernChinesemedicinecompany.SomemediareportshavecalledFengGensheng“bold.”Inhismind,themostimportanttaskismaintainingthisspirit.“IfIlostmyboldspirit,IwouldnotbetheFengGenshengI’vecometoknow.”
FengGenshengisthelongest-servingheadofaChinesestate-ownedenterpriseandhecontinuesoperatingthecompanyattheageof82.