Ginseng is so magical because it contains saponins, saccharides, ginseng acid, steroid (zāi) alkyd, amino acids, vitamins, volatile oil and yellow trunk (dòng), etc. These substances have important effects on enhancing the vitality of brain nerve center, heart and blood vessels, stimulating secretion function and accelerating metabolism.
Ginseng is a perennial herb of Solanaceae. The stem is about 40-50 cm high, with palmately compound leaves, ovate leaflets, yellowish green florets, flat fruit like beans, and red when it matures in autumn. The taproot is fat, fleshy and yellow-white, as if it were a villain, commonly known as "ginseng doll", whose roots and leaves can be used as medicine.
Ginseng is divided into wild and artificial cultivation. Wild ginseng grows on the hillside with low temperature, long light and fertile soil. The ginseng produced in Changbai Mountain area in northeast China is the most famous. Wild ginseng grows slowly and is difficult to collect. At present, artificial cultivation in China has brought ginseng into the homes of ordinary people.