Once a popular TV series, “Da Zhai Men,” depicted a scene where Qi Ye Bai Jingqi burned down a batch of flawed medicinal herbs worth 70,000 taels of silver, which shocked many viewers. Today, we will talk about the story of Le Songsheng, the helm of the century-old brand “Tong Ren Tang,” which was the inspiration for Bai Jingqi’s character.
You may not be familiar with this name, but Le Songsheng was once hailed as one of the wealthiest individuals in China in the 1940s, alongside Rong Yiren.
However, everything changed when the Communist Party came into power. Le Songsheng believed in the Communist Party, and Tong Ren Tang was turned into a state-owned enterprise. He even donated money, goods, properties, and even an airplane to the Party. Eventually, he ended up in a tragic situation of losing his family and wealth.
In 1669, Beijing. A man named Le Xianyang, hailing from Ningbo, wandered the streets with his inherited medical skills and a heart to help others. He treated people with illnesses by shaking a bell, later establishing the “Tong Ren Tang Pharmacy” in the Qing Dynasty Imperial Hospital.
The name Tong Ren Tang comes from the motto “Cultivate benevolence, benefit the world and nurture health,” with a commitment to meticulous pharmaceutical production and fair pricing.
Le Xianyang’s son, Le Fengming, upheld this belief and established a strict rule: “Even though the process is complex, never skimp on labor. Even if the ingredients are expensive, never reduce the quality.” This principle became the ancestral motto of the Le family in pharmaceutical production and was strictly followed by future generations, leading to the reputation of Tong Ren Tang.
How sophisticated are Tong Ren Tang’s medicines? For example, the Tiger Bone Wine needs to be buried in a vat for two full years; while the Rean Yi Pill must be sealed for a year before being sold. Why wait so long? They believe that the medicinal properties need time to mature for the best therapeutic effects.
The An Gong Niu Huang Pill is one of Tong Ren Tang’s top treasures. From material selection to production, they follow the six words of “superior, pure, authentic.” Legend has it that during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, a woman trapped under rubble had a high fever that wouldn’t go down. A doctor used An Gong Niu Huang Pill to save her life, and miraculously, her fever subsided after two pills. This is not just a legend but a genuine testimonial.
In 1723, Emperor Yongzheng appointed Tong Ren Tang as the Imperial Pharmacy, elevating its reputation to its peak. From then on, the fragrance of Tong Ren Tang’s medicine wafted into the Forbidden City, serving eight generations of emperors for a span of 188 years. The Wugui Bai Feng Pill became a favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi, given as precious gifts to concubines. Even today, the Forbidden City preserves Tong Ren Tang’s An Gong Niu Huang Pill, still vibrant in color and aroma after a century.
In the 1940s, Tong Ren Tang was passed down to the thirteenth generation successor, Le Songsheng. He was known as the “China’s wealthiest man.”
Le Songsheng was not an ordinary inheritor of wealth. After graduating from high school, he helped in the businesses of Da Rentang and Beijing Tong Ren Tang under Tong Ren Tang’s tutelage. Influenced by his uncle and father who studied in Germany and the UK, he had a broad outlook and an agile mind. Under his management, Tong Ren Tang’s reputation soared, becoming synonymous with traditional Chinese medicine across the country.
In 1949, the Communist Party took over Beijing. Workers at Tong Ren Tang formed a union, leading to a deadlock in negotiations between labor and management. Who broke the deadlock? Le Songsheng was unanimously elected!
On October 4th that year, a celebration party was held by the union, with Le Songsheng as a special guest. He was puzzled, “What is a capitalist representative doing here?” The climax of the party left him astonished – the workers elected him as the manager of Tong Ren Tang!
Initially, Le Songsheng doubted if he had misheard, until the applause filled the room, and he was invited to say a few words. It was only then he realized it was genuine.
After becoming the manager, Le Songsheng heeded the advice of Beijing’s mayor at the time, Peng Zhen, to trial a traditional Chinese medicine refining plant for improving manufacturing processes and quality.
He established the National Medicine Improvement Research Laboratory, hiring a professor from Peking University’s School of Pharmacy to produce products like Yinqiao Jiedu Pills, Xianglian Pills, Nugold Pills, and Huanglian Shangqing Pills, achieving success. By 1959, Tong Ren Tang had a total annual output value of over 12.52 million yuan, offering 583 types of products.
In 1954, Le Songsheng voluntarily submitted Tong Ren Tang’s application for a public-private partnership. Soon after, Tong Ren Tang became a public-private joint enterprise, becoming the first Chinese heritage brand to share ownership. In 1956, another asset of the Le family, Da Rentang, merged with Tong Ren Tang, also becoming a joint enterprise.
In January 1956, during a grand celebration of the victory of socialist transformation, Le Songsheng was received by the leadership, including Mao Zedong.
Many years ago, when Le Songsheng was studying in high school, he read books promoting communist theories and interacted with so-called “progressive” teachers and students. He never expected to be elected as Tong Ren Tang’s manager, seeing it as a moment of respect from the Communist Party and his opportunity to serve the country.
However, in reality, this was just a tactic of the Communist Party for united front work. Coming into power, the Communist Party needed experienced businessmen to serve them, attracting wealthy businessmen like him who had not fled the mainland China.
Le Songsheng not only handed over his business but also donated many family assets accumulated over the years.
In the early stages of Communist rule, Beijing faced a severe shortage of housing due to hosting numerous government and military institutions. Upon learning about the urgent need for housing for the military, the Le family voluntarily provided the “Le Family Garden” for their use.
The Le Family Garden was originally the garden of a Qing Dynasty Prince, featuring exquisite carvings, pavilions, bridges, flowing water, and artificial rock formations.
Subsequently, the Le family discounted all properties, belongings, and dozens of sika deer in the garden for 1,500 yards of cloth, partly selling and partly gifting it to the Huabei Military Region. The military leaders praised the Le family as enlightened individuals.
Following the Le family’s suggestion, the military transformed it into the “81 School” for the children of military personnel.
In the heart of Beijing at Shichahai, there stood a beautiful and refined residence, once the mansion of the corrupt official Heshen during Emperor Qianlong’s era. In the early Republican period, the Le family purchased it and transformed it into a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles.
Le Songsheng donated most of this mansion to the government. It later served as the Embassy of Mongolia to China. In 1963, the whole Guo Moruo family moved there, until his passing in 1978. Now it has been converted into the “Guo Moruo Former Residence Memorial Hall,” designated as a national-level cultural heritage site.
During the Korean War, Le Songsheng not only led in subscribing to public bonds and donations but also gave away an airplane.
In the early 1960s, the authorities called for the expansion of educational institutions. Le Songsheng led the donations, giving twenty thousand RMB and donating his private residence, a compound with 47 rooms in Chongwen District. Today, this compound serves as a key elementary school in Chongwen District.
Due to his contributions, Le Songsheng gained wide acclaim and high honors, becoming the Chairman of the National Federation of Industry and Commerce, as well as Deputy Mayor of Beijing, fostering close relations with the Municipal Party Secretary, Peng Zhen.
During the “Three-Anti and Five-Anti” movement initiated by the Communist Party between 1951 and 1952, many private businessmen were suppressed. Le Songsheng was protected by Peng Zhen from the crackdown.
But, the good times did not last. His assistance to the Communist Party and selfless contributions only bought him a fleeting peace for over a decade.
In 1966, the Cultural Revolution erupted. Le Songsheng’s protector, Peng Zhen, the sixth-ranking member of the Communist Party, was also overthrown and imprisoned in Qin Cheng. As for Le Songsheng, in the eyes of the Red Guards, he was the “evil capitalist exploiting workers” and a “red person of Peng Zhen.” They stormed his house at Chongwenmen, labeling him as a “reactionary capitalist, Le Songsheng.”
The scene was heartbreaking. They not only criticized and physically attacked Le Songsheng but also dragged out his elderly mother and wife, who both died under the torment. Le Songsheng survived but was left scarred. He lived in fear and despair.
Over a year later, at 60 years old, Le Songsheng chose to end his life. Without ashes or farewells, the once wealthiest man in China faded away silently.
And what about Tong Ren Tang? It was taken over as a state-owned enterprise in 1966, shut down for many years during the Cultural Revolution, only reopening in 1979. The Le family’s glory was ruined in a moment.
After the Communist Party came to power, the Le family split into two branches: one stayed on the mainland, led by Le Songsheng, and the other went to Taiwan, led by Le Chonghui, Le Songsheng’s contemporary.
The Le family that remained on the mainland was nearly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The twelfth generation was almost entirely killed, with only three survivors from the thirteenth generation. Le Chonghui opened a Tong Ren Tang in Taipei in 1953 but closed it shortly after, fearing repercussions on mainland relatives.
In the 2010s, the Le family members in Taiwan planned to return to China for business. However, the Tong Ren Tang Group in Beijing showed no interest and even prohibited them from using the Tong Ren Tang brand.
Under the Communist regime, Tong Ren Tang has faced multiple quality scandals in recent years, including false production dates, the use of expired honey, and an abundance of counterfeit products.
Between 2017 and 2022, Tong Ren Tang was named and reported by the Drug Administration 23 times, had the “China Quality Award” revoked, and faced quality controversies. Tong Ren Tang’s high-ranking executives were even implicated in corruption and bribery scandals.
In 2021, within just 10 days, the General Manager of the Tong Ren Tang Group, Gao Zhenkun, and the former General Manager of Tong Ren Tang Shares, Liu Xiangguang, were successively detained, shocking the nation.
The three-hundred-year-old prestigious brand met its downfall under Communist rule.