There is an old Chinese saying "Heaven up above, Suzhou and Hangzhou down here on earth".In Suzhou, for thousands of years, medical achievements of Wu Zhong (an ancient name for Suzhou and vicinity) people had left great heritage and influence in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and make up an essential part of "Wu" culture.

According to the ¡iChronicle of Wu Zhong's famous doctors¡j, there were about one thousand and two hundred medical specialists emerged in the generations of Suzhou history, amount them over a hundred were imperial doctors and medical officials; and over 500 hundred medical manuscripts are still present nowadays. There is no other place can compete with Suzhou in terms of the numbers of home-grown famous doctors and medical manuscripts; people say that there are two kinds of celebrities bountiful in Suzhou: top royal scholars and imperial doctors.

The Ming and Ching Dynasties had witnessed the glorious period of Wu Zhong medical achievements, with great numbers of outstanding doctors and manuscripts of medical researches.

Yong Zheng 12 years of Ching Dynasty, Lei Da Sheng (alias Yun Shang), a famous Wu Zhong doctor has founded a medicine shop at Chang Men district, Suzhou and named "Song Feng Tang Medicine Shop".


_{The Song Fen Tang Principal Shop}

_{The Famous Names in China}

He practiced medicine using the name "Lei Yun Shang" and he would also prescribe herbal medicine for his patients. He had also written medical manuscripts like ¡iJin Kui Bian Zheng¡j, ¡iYao Zheng Lun Lue¡j, ¡iJing Bing Feng Lun¡j and ¡i Dan Wan Feng Lun¡j; and was considered a Wu Zhong doctor with substantial reputation.

Since his time a business in Traditional Chinese Medicine manufacturing, bearing his name "Lei Yun Shang", has been passed on for almost 300 years now.

Generation after generation, Lei Yun Shang people in Suzhou has carried on the business motto:

"Serve the ordinary people, improve the quality of medicine day by day"

"Collect hundreds kind of herbs, benefit millions of people"

" Beijing Tong Yan Tang in the North and Suzhou Lei Yun Shang in the South"

Legend told that Emperor Qian Long of Ching Dynasty had visited various places south of Zhang Jiang for six times during his reign and for many times he felt sick while on the move he took medicines prepared by Lei Yun Shang and recovered.

In 1863, Tong Zhi 2nd year of Ching Dynasty, after Suzhou Lei Yun Shang had been founded for 129 years, the Lei clan founded a branch shop in Shanghai - "south shop"; then in 1934, Min Guo 23rd year and 1939, Min Guo 28th year branches were opened namely the "north shop" and the "west shop". These three branch shops were outlets for the products manufactured by Suzhou Lei Yun Shang especially the renowned "Liu Shen Wan".

During the twenties, high-ranking government officials like Jiang Jie Shi, Lin Sen, Yu You Ren, Zhang Xue Liang all patronized Lei Yun Shang and each of them had left their calligraphy to praise its medicinal achievements and high quality products which also known as "medicine of the south".

"Liu Shen Wan" and hundreds of other fine TCM manufactured by Lei Yun Shang of Suzhou were well known among nobles and elites as well as ordinary people. There were so many different medicine shops and manufacturers in China, yet through competition for hundreds of years, Lei Yun Shang had become outstanding and share the same fame with another famous medicine shop in the Capital, the Beijing "Tong Yan Tang".

Through the ups and downs in the long history, Lei Yun Shang always showed its vitality and today it had been designated by the State as one of the key manufacturer of TCM, its products are still popular at home and overseas.

(The three branches of Lei Yun Shang in Shanghai had during the fifties dissipated from the principal shop in Suzhou, they became general medicine shops and had only retained the name of Lei Yun Shang.) _{Recognized as hi-tech enterprise Front of main buidling}

_{Plant Plant}

_{Computer room}

Special column on Suzhou Lei Yun Shang published by Hong Kong Economic Times on 09/02/2000.(click on image to enlarge)

Special report on Suzhou Lei Yun Shang published by The International Chinese Weekly on 21/02/2000.(click on image to enlarge)

Special column on the three Traditional Chinese Medicine with First Class protection; published by Ming Pao on March 1, 2000. Among them is Liu Shen Wan by Suzhou Lei Yun Shang.(click on image to enlarge)