As the developed region of Chinese medicine since ancient times, Chinese medicine pharmacies are very popular in the folk society of South China, especially in Guangzhou which is a prosperous city and the business center of South China. Among existing "Chinese Time-honored Brands" in Guangdong, it is unique that Guangzhou Baiyunshan Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Company Limited has already merged 37 enterprises in more than 300 years.

The century company is both old and young because not only does it inherit ancient prescriptions such as Angong Niuhuang Pill and Baoying Pill but also it comes up with new medicines such as Zhongyi Xiaoke Pill and Wei Nai An. Meanwhile, "always caring about consumers' health" as the purpose of the enterprise has been never changed so far.

The history of Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Company could trace back to as early as the Qing Dynasty Kangxi 1 (AD 1662) when Huang Zhong Huang Pharmacy was set up as the ancestor of Zhongyi. However, the shop then became the body of Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Company is Bao Zi Tang established by Pan Wuan, born in Panyu of Guangdong.

According to historical records, Pan Wu'an was intelligent and studious from childhood, and he determined to study traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, treatment and medicines. He then obtained careful instruction from famous doctors and finally turned into well-known "Da Guo Shou" (the most skilled traditional Chinese doctor) respected by everyone.

In the Qing Dynasty Kangxi 8 (AD 1669), Pan Wuan set up Bao Zi Tang Chinese Medicine Pharmacy at Shuangmendi Road (also named Sipailou, now Beijing South Road) to diagnose disease, produce and sell Chinese patent medicines.

When Pan Wuan practiced medicine, he found that six extra climatic conditions including wind, cold, heat, summer heat and dampness are so changeable that babies would suffer from acute infantile convulsions and then lose their lives without enough rescue time. Their family's pain made Pan Wuan deeply feel that Chinese treatments and medicines have heavy responsibility for healing the wounded.

One day neighbors' two-year old infant was infected with summer heat, having fever, nasal discharge, irritability and convulsions, and then suddenly suffered from acute infantile convulsions. Based on the past experience of treatment, he chose dispelling wind, clearing heat, dissipating phlegm and arresting epilepsy as main treatments. He soaked himself in the therapy countermeasure and finally developed Baoying Pill (also with name "Tongguansan") through repeated clinical practices, which then exceeded the supply for its significantly reliable effect.

At that time, with mass production of Baoyingdan for consumers, Bao Zi Tang developed six kinds of new products including Liuwei Dihuang Pill, Guipi Pill, Shiquan Dabu Pill, Tianwang Baoxin Pill, Zhibai Dihuang Pill and Baohe Pill. Because of the prominent effect of all sorts of its Chinese patent medicines, the pharmacy had affiliates throughout China and endless stream of people for its treatments and medicines.

Bao Zi Tang was well known and even gained praise and publicity from the court dignitaries and high officials and noble lords. In Qing Dynasty Daoguang 23 (AD 1843), Qi Gong, then the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, ever wrote the horizontal tablet "Yanghe Zhongde" (known as "Yanghe Shude") for Bao Zi Tang Pharmacy, which means people engaged in pharmaceutical industry should maintain the goodness of mind and body as gentlemen of virtue.

In June Qing Dynasty Daoguang 26 (AD 1846), after Bao Zi Tang had become famous, for the sake of business enlargement, it moved from Shuangmendi Road to Jianglan Road No. 64 to start a factory, which expanded several times than before, including additional workshops and warehouse, so it used the usual pattern of contemporary traditional pharmacies, "front shop, back factory".

Another forerunner of Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Company was Ma Bai Liang Pharmacy set up in 1820, which also received more than 11 horizontal tablets from officials of Qing Dynasty. Among them there was the horizontal tablet "Jinye Yingwan" written by Imperial Academy Editing Minister Chong Qi, and the horizontal tablet "Renren Lipu" written by Liang Yaoshu, Jinshi and the Imperial Academy Editing with one class higher official rank.

Except Huang Zhong Huang, Bao Zi Tang, Gui Ning Tang and Ma Bai Liang Pharmacy, then famous pharmacies were merged in the predecessor of Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Company, such as Guang Zhi Guan, Ji Lan Guan, Liang Cai Xin, Liu Yi Zhai and other time-honored-brand pharmacies which were given name by persons' name or study's name and all enjoyed high reputation for more than two to three hundred years.

Chinese patent medicines produced by these pharmacies can be divided into seven categories including patches, elixir, pills, powder, tea, oil and wine. Many pharmacies developed medicines based on effective experienced formula and home remedies, not only as the leading role in modern Chinese Patent Medicine but also as the heritage from Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Company's collection of each pharmacy's advantage.