ChinaHerb – Expel Lung Cold (Xiao Qing Long Tang)

Size

60 tablets

Ingredients

Each tablet contains:

Cinnamomi Ramulus (Gui Zhi) – cinnamon twig / Chinese cinnamon – 160mg
Zingiberis Rhizoma (Gan Jiang) – dried ginger rhizome – 160mg
Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (Wu Wei Zi) – Chinese schisandra fruit / five-flavour berry – 160mg
Pinelliae Rhizoma (Ban Xia) – prepared pinellia tuber – 160mg
Paeoniae Radix Alba (Bai Shao) – white peony root – 160mg
Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) – liquorice root and rhizome – 160mg
Asari Radix et Rhizoma (Xi Xin) – Chinese wild ginger root and rhizome – 51.2mg
Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) – balloon flower root – 89.6mg
Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qiang Huo) – notopterygium root and rhizome – 89.6mg
Armeniacae Semen Amarum (Xing Ren) – bitter apricot kernel – 89.6mg

Directions to use

Adults: Take 2 tablets twice daily, 30 minutes before or after meals.

• No animal products or animal by-products
• No preservatives

Warning

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication or have an existing medical condition, consult an appropriate healthcare professional before use. Keep out of reach of children.

Understanding Expel Lung Cold in TCM

The name Expel Lung Cold describes the traditional pattern for which the formula is intended rather than a modern medical diagnosis.

Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Lung represents a broader functional system than the anatomical lungs alone. Among other functions, it has a traditional relationship with respiration, the movement of Qi and the distribution of body fluids.

When Cold affects this system and fluids fail to move and transform normally, TCM describes the possibility of retained fluids or Cold Phlegm.

This pattern may present with cough, wheezing, a feeling of congestion, clear or white sputum and sensitivity to cold conditions.

Therefore, Xiao Qing Long Tang combines warming herbs with others traditionally used to transform retained fluids, regulate Lung Qi and balance the overall formula.

For a deeper explanation of Qi, Phlegm, Cold, Heat, Wind, Dampness and the TCM Organ Systems, read our Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine Knowledge article.

Why Does the Type of Phlegm Matter in TCM?

Traditional Chinese Medicine pays close attention to the colour, consistency and quantity of phlegm.

Clear, thin or watery phlegm traditionally points towards a different pattern from thick, sticky or yellow phlegm.

In a Cold-Phlegm pattern, sputum tends to be clear, white, thin or watery. The person may also feel cold, and symptoms may worsen in cold weather.

By contrast, yellow, thick or sticky phlegm accompanied by Heat signs may suggest a different TCM pattern.

This distinction is particularly relevant within the ChinaHerb range. Expel Lung Cold (Xiao Qing Long Tang) focuses on a Cold and retained-fluid pattern, whereas Clear Lung Heat (Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan) follows a different traditional strategy for Phlegm-Heat.

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Gui Zhi – Cinnamon Twig

Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus) comes from the young twigs of Chinese cinnamon.

Within TCM, Gui Zhi traditionally warms and releases the Exterior, warms the channels and assists the transformation of fluids.

It is worth distinguishing cinnamon twig from the familiar cinnamon bark or powder used in cooking. Although they come from the same or closely related cinnamon plants, Chinese materia medica treats different plant parts as distinct herbal ingredients.

Gan Jiang – Dried Ginger

Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) is dried ginger rhizome.

Within TCM, Gan Jiang has a strongly warming character and traditionally warms the interior and the Lung while helping transform Cold fluids.

Ginger provides an excellent example of a familiar kitchen ingredient that also has a long history within Chinese herbal medicine.

Wu Wei Zi – Schisandra

Wu Wei Zi (Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus) is the fruit of Schisandra chinensis, commonly known as schisandra or five-flavour berry.

Its Chinese name means “five-flavour seed/fruit”, reflecting its traditionally recognised combination of tastes.

Within TCM, Wu Wei Zi traditionally helps contain Lung Qi. This contracting characteristic balances the more dispersing herbs in the formula.

Ban Xia – Prepared Pinellia

Ban Xia (Pinelliae Rhizoma) is prepared pinellia tuber.

Within TCM, Ban Xia is one of the important traditional ingredients used to transform Phlegm and address retained fluids.

Importantly, raw pinellia is irritating and potentially toxic. Chinese herbal medicine therefore uses appropriately processed Pinellia preparations, rather than the untreated raw tuber.

Bai Shao – White Peony Root

Bai Shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) is white peony root.

Within TCM, Bai Shao traditionally nourishes Blood, preserves Yin and moderates the actions of other herbs.

Its more nourishing character helps balance the warming and dispersing ingredients within Xiao Qing Long Tang.

Gan Cao – Liquorice Root

Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) is liquorice root and rhizome.

Within TCM, Gan Cao traditionally supports Qi, moistens the Lung and harmonises herbal formulae.

Liquorice is another ingredient that many customers will recognise from food and herbal preparations.

Xi Xin – Chinese Wild Ginger

Xi Xin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma) is Chinese wild ginger root and rhizome.

Within TCM, Xi Xin has a warm, aromatic character. It traditionally disperses Cold and helps transform thin retained fluids.

Jie Geng – Balloon Flower Root

Jie Geng (Platycodonis Radix) is the root of the balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus.

Within TCM, Jie Geng has a particular traditional relationship with the Lung and is used to support the dispersing function of Lung Qi and address Phlegm.

Qiang Huo – Notopterygium

Qiang Huo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix) is notopterygium root and rhizome.

Within TCM, Qiang Huo traditionally disperses Wind-Cold and Dampness.

Xing Ren – Bitter Apricot Kernel

Xing Ren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum) is the bitter kernel of apricot.

Within TCM, Xing Ren traditionally directs Lung Qi downward and helps address cough and wheezing.

This is not the same as eating ordinary sweet apricot kernels as food. Chinese materia medica uses carefully prepared medicinal material in controlled formulations.

What Does Scientific Research Say About Xiao Qing Long Tang?

Unlike many traditional formulae for which research remains largely experimental, Xiao Qing Long Tang has been investigated in human clinical trials and systematic reviews, particularly for allergic respiratory conditions.

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated 24 randomised controlled trials of Xiao Qing Long Tang for allergic rhinitis. The researchers reported improvements in total nasal symptom scores as well as rhinorrhoea and nasal obstruction. However, they also emphasised the need for more rigorously designed trials using well-established outcome measures. (PubMed)

A multicentre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled study has also evaluated the formula in adults with perennial allergic rhinitis, providing further human clinical investigation of Xiao Qing Long Tang rather than research on isolated ingredients alone. (PubMed)

More recent laboratory and animal research continues to explore possible mechanisms behind these effects. Studies have investigated pathways associated with allergic inflammation and immune responses, including inflammatory signalling and immune-cell activity. These mechanistic findings are interesting, although animal and laboratory results cannot by themselves establish effectiveness in humans. (PubMed)

Research into asthma also exists. A 2026 network meta-analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine decoctions used alongside conventional treatment for paediatric asthma included three Xiao Qing Long Tang studies. Some outcomes were encouraging; however, the researchers identified serious methodological limitations across the underlying trials and described the overall findings as preliminary and exploratory. (PubMed Central (PMC))

Therefore, it is reasonable to say that Xiao Qing Long Tang has scientific evidence supporting further investigation for allergic and respiratory conditions, with the strongest evidence we found here relating to allergic rhinitis.

Expel Lung Cold or Clear Lung Heat?

Both ChinaHerb formulas relate to respiratory health, but their traditional TCM patterns are almost opposite.

Expel Lung Cold (Xiao Qing Long Tang) traditionally suits a Cold pattern, particularly when phlegm is clear, white, thin or watery and symptoms worsen with cold.

Clear Lung Heat (Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan) traditionally addresses Phlegm-Heat, where phlegm may be thicker, sticky or yellow and other Heat characteristics may occur.

This distinction demonstrates why TCM does not necessarily use the same formula for every cough.

Instead, practitioners look at the overall pattern, including the nature of the cough, phlegm, temperature sensations and accompanying signs.

Did You Know?

Xiao Qing Long Tang is an ancient Chinese herbal formula traditionally attributed to Zhang Zhongjing, one of the most influential physicians in the history of Chinese Medicine.

The formula appears in the classical medical tradition associated with the Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage), a foundational work compiled around the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Its Chinese name Xiao Qing Long Tang is commonly translated as Minor Blue-Green Dragon Decoction or Minor Green Dragon Decoction.

The Qing Long – Blue-Green Dragon is associated in Chinese tradition with the East and water. The name therefore provides a memorable connection with the formula’s traditional role in addressing Cold and retained fluids.

The formula is also an excellent example of balance within Chinese herbal formulation.

Gui Zhi and Gan Jiang provide warming actions. Ban Xia addresses Phlegm and retained fluids. Wu Wei Zi has a containing character, while Bai Shao provides a nourishing and moderating influence.

Rather than simply combining several herbs with identical functions, the formula brings together ingredients with complementary and balancing traditional actions.

More than a historical curiosity, Xiao Qing Long Tang remains the subject of modern scientific investigation more than a thousand years after its development.

Disclaimer: This unregistered medicine has not been evaluated by the SAHPRA for its quality, safety and intended use.