He spent his entire life wandering through the taiga in search of the magical root of life—known as “pancui” in Manchu and “ginseng” in Chinese. He built a little shelter over the young root and guarded it for many years, waiting to harvest it at its peak, to make a tincture and reclaim his lost youth…
What the legend says next about this “pancui”—the seeker of the “root of life”—is less important. What is undeniable is that ginseng tincture helps with many ailments, strengthens the body’s defenses, and aids in the fight against various diseases.
Ginseng is an incredibly rare plant. Finding it is as difficult as discovering a gold nugget. Clearly, not every sick person could benefit from this miraculous remedy.
So, biologists decided to cultivate the “root of life” on plantations. They faced numerous challenges. Ginseng does not grow in areas that have experienced even a single fire. It cannot tolerate direct sunlight and prefers locations where the sun only shines on it at dawn, sending a farewell greeting at sunset.
The significance of ginseng cultivation is evident in the fact that the residents of the Korean city of Kaesong erected a monument to their fellow countryman, Song Pong San, who was the first to conquer the “root of life,” making it grow not in the remote, roadless taiga, but under human supervision.
But what do you say about those “pancui” who are based in the Moscow region or Belarus? They are likely not seekers but rather caretakers of the “roots of life,” steeped in legend and growing in their gardens.
Today, ginseng plantations have been established near Moscow, in Belarus, and even near Leningrad.