Helan Stone Carvings(Helanshi)
The Helan Stone (Helanshi) has been collected from the Helan Mountain Range since ancient times. This fine-textured stone is hard and the colour is predominantly deep blue, sometimes inlaid with light green patterns. Most of the stones are used as pen-racks, seals and inkpots and have long been treasured as both artistic and valuable. It is said that inkslab's made from this stone can help dissolve the ink particles within the water with which they are mixed, helping to protect the brushes.
Licorice Root (Gancao)
The Licorice Root (Gancao) has for many centuries been considered as the most useful of Chinese herbal medicines, and as such is said to be included in nine out of ten ancient Chinese prescriptions.
The Licorice is a wild plant that is grown in dry and sunny places, making Ningxia the ideal area. This wild northwestern province has a climate that is most notable for its little rain, less than 8 inches annually, and dryness, so that the licorice grown here is usually of the highest quality and finest texture.
Medlar (Gouqi)
Medlar (Gouqi) is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, with very high tonic properties. It contains iron, phosphor, calcium and various other vitamins and is bright red, fleshy, sweet and with few seeds.
The Chinese are great for creating medicines that will fight against all sorts of illnesses. Once, in Xi'an, a local medicinal factory proclaimed a tonic that could fight AIDS, cure herpes and help fight tuberculosis. Medlar appears to be another of these miracle cures, but perhaps there is something in this. Medlar is said to help resist cancer & protect the liver, to stimulate hormones, to cure general debilities, to soothe the nerves and prolong one's lifespan.
River Bank Lamb Skin (Tanyang qiupi)
Tanyang, or River Bank Lamb, Skin (Tanyang qiupi) is one of Ningxia's most uniquely native products. It is named after the banks of the Yellow River, near to Yinchuan, from where most of these livestock originated. The lamb are slaughtered 30 days after they are born to harvest their skin and meat. The hair is about two inches long and curly, and it is often refereed to by the Chinese fine, soft and glistening as a piece of jade.
