Opposite: dried snakes for sale at Qing Ping. Image
by Attila Jandi.
Above and left: enormous sacks of sea cucumbers
could be seen in many booths. Images by John
McGrath.
‘S EA CUCUMBERS are apparently
useful in CREATING BABIES , as well
as for treating kidney ailments.’
and around the globe. It is therefore
reasonable to expect that the market
would be representative of TCM
goods available on a wider scale at
any given time. Descriptions of the
exotic animals (or animal parts)
available for purchase include shark
fin and tiger paw, as well as turtles,
frogs, deer, monkeys, starfish,
scorpions and other invertebrates.
I first circled the outskirts of the
market and quickly established that if
you are a seahorse or sea cucumber
you had better move quickly, as there
is likely to be a TCM vendor chasing
you! Enormous sacks of these crea-
tures (dried) could be seen in many
booths, while I also passed a shop that
specialised in deer products and
several that contained huge, bizarre
fungi and curious items which turned
out to be dried fish stomachs (or swim
bladders?). Most of the shops were,
however, dominated by herbal items.
Having skirted the perimeter, I then
dived into the myriad of narrow alley-
ways that criss-cross the interior.
Soon I discovered an interesting stall
which held a number of animal
products. The owner’s sister spoke
some English and was happy to take
time to explain the uses of some of the
items for sale. Sea cucumbers, she
told me, are useful in helping to create
babies. Besides impotence, they are
also used to treat a variety of condi-
tions, including kidney ailments.
Seahorses, I was informed, are good
for throat problems. In fact, for more
than 2,000 years, they have also been
associated with the treatment of
erectile dysfunction, asthma, insomnia
and abdominal pain. They are claimed
to have anti-aging properties, and to
suppress fatigue and the growth of
tumours, as well as neuroinflamma-
tory response. In what has become a
common problem for many animals
used in TCM, the growth of the
Chinese economy has led to increased
demand due to higher disposable
incomes. Overfishing has already had
dramatic effects upon seahorse
populations, such that CITES has
prohibited international trade together
with the sale of any individuals under
10cm minimum in length (with the
exception of one species). Several
species are also listed as vulnerable or
endangered on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
Frogs and toads are also used for a
number of applications in TCM. Chan
-su, or hus chan-su, is composed of an
extract of the venom of the Asiatic
Toad (Bufo gargarizans) and has been
used for heart health and to combat
cancer for over 1,000 years. The dried
skins of these toads – which have
recently piqued the interest of
Western medical researchers - are
prescribed for dropsy and other
ailments.