Whole herbsBlood-activatingSalviae Chinensis Herba

Shi Jian Chuan (Chinese Sage Herb)

A practical guide to Shi Jian Chuan: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 28, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Salviae Chinensis Herba
Chinese Name & Pinyin	石見穿 · Shi Jian Chuan
Medicinal Part	Whole herbs
The item	Shi Jian Chuan is the dried above-ground part of Chinese sage. Dan Shen (salvia miltiorrhiza root) and other sages are not this drug.
Nature and channels	Neutral, bitter and acrid. Enters the Liver and Spleen. Neutral bitter-acrid invigorates blood, disperses stasis, clears heat, and drains damp.
Pharmacopoeia line	Invigorates blood and disperses stasis; clears heat and drains damp. Used for qi-blood stasis with fixed pain, scanty dark urine, and damp-heat skin sores.
Pattern cues	Fixed stabbing pain. Irregular menstruation with dark clotted flow. Scanty dark urine. Burning urination. Greasy skin. Yellow coat. Eczema and sores.
In this article	Shi Jian Chuan versus Dan Shen. Moving stasis with damp-heat versus moving blood and regulating menstruation. Why deficiency-cold should skip it. Home tea and porridge.

What Is Shi Jian Chuan?

Shi Jian Chuan (石见穿; Shí Jiàn Chuān; Latin: Salviae Chinensis Herba; English: Chinese sage herb) is the dried above-ground part of a mint-family sage — the modest upright stem with pale-purple flowers that pushes through cracks in stones, gathered at flowering in summer and cut into pieces. It is neutral, bitter and acrid, enters the Liver and Spleen channels, and its core actions are to invigorate blood and disperse stasis, and to clear heat and drain damp. It is the quiet road-opener for stuck qi-blood and lingering damp-heat. The usual amount is 6–15 g in a decoction. It soaks 30 minutes and boils 15–20 minutes with the other herbs — no special first, last, or wrapped step. It is not swallowed raw or as a snack.

It is not Dan Shen. Salvia miltiorrhiza root is slightly cold and bitter — it invigorates blood, regulates menstruation, and cools the heart, better for chest pain and menstrual stasis; this Chinese sage herb is neutral — it invigorates blood and also clears heat and drains damp, better for stasis mixed with damp-heat — scanty dark urine, a yellow coat, heavy limbs. It is not a strong blood mover; it is a gentle, even-tempered one. In deficiency-cold — fear of cold, loose stools — or in pregnancy, using it on your own is a poor match. Heavy menstrual bleeding, or pain of unclear nature, needs a clinic first. Do not take it yourself for a long time.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Fixed stabbing pain, painful on pressure, irregular menstruation with dark clotted flow, period cramps — qi-blood stasis
Scanty dark urine, a burning urinary tract, heavy body, greasy skin, a yellow coat, sores and eczema from damp-heat
Deficiency-cold, pregnancy, or very heavy menstrual flow — seek care / skip it

Neutral, bitter, and acrid, it is not a daily "stuck-qi tea" to keep drinking. Moving when there is no stasis, or in a weak cold body, drains the upright qi instead of helping.

When long hours seated, suppressed emotions, rich food, and alcohol pile up — the qi blocks, the blood slows, the damp-heat gathers — the body carries fixed pain, dark urine, and greasy heaviness. Shi Jian Chuan is neutral, bitter, and acrid. It moves the blood, clears the heat, and drains the damp, which is why it appears in Shi Jian Chuan Tang (Shi Jian Chuan Decoction)–type formulas. It frees more than it holds. In deficiency-cold, or without stasis and damp-heat, more makes it worse.

Shi Jian Chuan is not a catch-all blood or damp herb. In deficiency-cold, in pregnancy, with very heavy menstrual flow, or without stasis, using it alone is a poor match. Whether it belongs in a formula, and at what dose, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Shi Jian Chuan: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Salviae Chinensis Herba

Botanical Origin

The dried aerial part of Salvia chinensis Benth. (Lamiaceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is greenish, leafy, and free of impurities.

Macroscopic Features

Stems are quadrangular, sometimes branched, 20~80cm long; externally brownish-red or dark green; nodes slightly swollen. Leaves opposite, often wrinkled or fallen; leaf blade ovate or lanceolate, grayish-green, with serrate margin. Verticillaster terminal, with small purple-blue corolla remaining. Faint odor, taste bitter.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Classic texts and trade experience favor herbs from several regions along the lower Yangtze, where the environment suits the plant, but quality still depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. Good Shi Jian Chuan has thin stems with a purple-brown cast, intact dark-green leaves, many fresh-colored remaining flowers, and a clear bitter smell. The common look-alike is another sage — Dan Shen — whose root is the medicinal part, not the aerial herb; its leaves are wider and its flowers deeper in color — the part and the form tell them apart.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Acrid, Bitter; Slightly coldLiverSpleen

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Ming Yi Bie Lu: notes it "is used for cold and heat, accumulations, and arthritic pain."
Xin Xiu Ben Cao: adds it "frees the bowels and urine, and reduces water swelling."
Ben Cao Gang Mu: records use "for stubborn skin ailments, bone pain, and swollen sores."
De Pei Ben Cao: notes it "is used for choking on food and phlegm wheezing."

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Some doctors leaned on clearing and draining — for damp-heat accumulation and qi-blood stasis, stressing the breaking and freeing action with supporting herbs so as not to injure the upright qi; others saw a gentle blood mover, fine even for mixed deficiency-stasis at light degrees; some drew the line — pregnancy and weak bodies need caution, not every qi-blood block. The differences keep its range precise rather than a universal blood mover.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Invigorates blood and dissipates stasis, clears heat and resolves dampness, dissipates nodules and reduces swelling.

1. Main Use 1: Invigorating Blood and Dispersing Stasis

(1) Traditional action: moving qi-blood and dispersing stasis — easing the discomforts of blocked blood flow. (2) Typical patterns: qi stagnation or cold congealing — fixed stabbing pain, worse on pressure, or irregular menstruation with dark clotted flow and period cramps. (3) Usual pairings: Dan Shen to strengthen the blood moving; Xiang Fu (nutgrass rhizome) to free the qi — qi moving helps blood move; Dang Gui (angelica root) to nourish and move the blood so the moving does not injure. (4) Not for self-use: pregnancy — blood movers may affect the fetus; very heavy menstrual flow — period-time use can worsen the bleeding.

2. Main Use 2: Clearing Heat and Draining Damp

(1) Traditional action: clearing damp-heat and freeing the urine — carrying out excess damp and heat. (2) Typical patterns: damp-heat accumulation — scanty dark urine, burning urinary tract pain, a heavy body, greasy skin, a yellow coat, and damp-heat skin sores or eczema. (3) Usual pairings: Che Qian Cao (plantain) to free urine and clear heat; Huang Bai (phellodendron) to clear lower-burner damp-heat; Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle) to clear heat and toxin for skin sores. (4) Not for self-use: deficiency-cold — fear of cold, loose stools — the clearing and draining can deepen the cold.

3. A Classic Pairing

Shi Jian Chuan pairs classically with Dan Shen: the sage root regulates menstruation and disperses stasis; the Chinese sage also clears heat and drains damp — together they strengthen the blood-moving while the herb's clearing temper checks the root's warm dryness — for qi-blood stasis with mild damp-heat, such as irregular periods with irritability and yellow urine. This pair belongs to a practitioner's pattern diagnosis — no casual self-pairing.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Main Chemical Constituents

Detected in the plant are terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and volatile oils — including sage-specific terpenes, apigenin, luteolin, caffeic acid, and rosmarinic acid, natural plant secondary metabolites. In vitro, some terpenoids and flavonoids curb the growth of certain cultured cell lines — under controlled lab conditions. In animals, extracts improve some blood-flow indices and show a diuretic effect, echoing the classic "frees urine" note — at specific animal doses. Human studies are few; the limited work mainly watches safety when combined with other medicines — no clear human efficacy conclusion exists.

2. Current Research Directions

Current work centers on several lines: the material basis of the blood-moving action — which components do the work; the mechanisms behind the anti-inflammatory and diuretic actions — mapping the traditional actions onto modern physiology; and early screening for other activities such as antioxidant or immune-modulating effects. Most are preliminary — in vitro activity is not equal to human effect; safety and efficacy still need human study.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — human physiology differs widely from lab and animal conditions.
Extracts are not decoction pieces — dose, component ratios, and absorption differ by form.
Doses and preparations vary between studies — results are hard to unify.
One component does not define the whole herb — the herb acts as a team of constituents.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Both invigorate blood and disperse stasis — easing qi-blood block.
Both are used for qi-blood patterns — irregular menstruation, arthritic pain.
Both need constitution and dose care — no casual long use.

2. Key Differences

Nature and flavor: Shi Jian Chuan is neutral, bitter and acrid — calm, no marked cold or heat; Dan Shen is slightly cold and bitter — cooler, suited to inner heat. Focus: Shi Jian Chuan also clears heat and drains damp — for stasis with scanty dark urine, greasy skin, a yellow coat; Dan Shen centers on moving blood, regulating menstruation, and dispersing stasis — for menstrual stasis and chest pain, with no marked damp-clearing. Tendency: Shi Jian Chuan descends toward the middle-lower burner — sorting lower qi-blood and water-damp; Dan Shen reaches wider — the Heart, Liver, and beyond, freeing qi-blood throughout the body, with a slight cold-blood, heart-cooling side. Best fit: Shi Jian Chuan for stasis with damp-heat signs — yellow urine, a yellow coat, heavy limbs; Dan Shen for stasis or inner-heat signs — dark clotted flow, a purple tongue with spots, restlessness. Who should avoid: Shi Jian Chuan — deficiency-cold with loose stools, the bitter-acrid clearing can deepen the cold; Dan Shen — a cold weak spleen-stomach with frequent belly pain and diarrhea, the slight cold can injure the spleen yang. Where you meet them: Shi Jian Chuan in damp-heat stasis formulas and light daily care; Dan Shen in classic heart-circulation and gynecologic formulas — where stronger blood moving is wanted.

3. One-Line Takeaway

In short, Shi Jian Chuan is a neutral blood mover that also clears damp-heat; Dan Shen is a slightly cold blood mover that regulates menstruation and cools the heart. Both can serve qi-blood stasis — but they are not stand-ins for each other.

Classical Formulas Containing Shi Jian Chuan

Classic Formula 1: Shi Jian Chuan Tang

Role of this herb: in Shi Jian Chuan Tang (Shi Jian Chuan Decoction), the herb is the monarch — invigorating blood, clearing heat, and draining damp — with Dang Gui and Dan Shen strengthening the blood moving, Che Qian Zi (plantain seed) freeing urine and clearing heat, and Xiang Fu freeing the qi. The target is damp-heat stasis — scanty dark urine, arthritic pain, irregular menstruation; alone, the herb cannot also free the qi and regulate the flow. Traditional focus: damp-heat with qi-blood stasis — scanty urine, joint pain, blocked menstruation with belly pain. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — joint pain is not a name to self-apply; the doctor confirms the damp-heat stasis pattern first.

Classic Formula 2: Zi Shen Yin

Role of this herb: in Zi Shen Yin (Purple Sage Drink), the herb is a minister beside the monarchs Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle) and Pu Gong Ying (dandelion) — clearing heat and toxin for surface sores — with Chi Shao (peony root) dispersing swelling and Gan Cao harmonizing. The herb's damp-clearing and blood-moving aid the monarchs in easing the stasis at the sore and helping it recover; alone, it cannot also clear the toxin and disperse the swelling. Traditional focus: swollen, hot, red surface sores from damp-heat stasis. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — identify the type and pattern of the sore before use; wrong use can worsen it.

Formula vs. Single Herb

A formula is a coordinated team — the pairings check each herb's bias and cover several sides at once; a single herb can only do so much alone. The doses and ratios are designed as a whole — a herb that works in a formula does not automatically work the same way alone. Do not self-formulate from web articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Remedies

Example 1 — Shi Jian Chuan clearing tea: Shi Jian Chuan 5 g, Che Qian Cao 3 g, chrysanthemum 2 g — steep in boiling water 10 minutes, re-steep until faint. Fit: light damp-heat — yellow urine, mild heaviness, a slightly yellow coat — for summer or desk-and-rich-food lives, small daily amounts. Not for: deficiency-cold — frequent loose stools, cold hands and feet. Frequency: 2–3 times a week, one cup each, no long unbroken stretches. Example 2 — Shi Jian Chuan blood porridge: Shi Jian Chuan 6 g, Dan Shen 3 g, rice 50 g — wrap the herbs in muslin, decoct 20 minutes, cook the rice in the strained liquid, light brown sugar to taste. Fit: light qi-blood stasis in women — mild pre-period cramps, darker flow — in the week before the period. Not for: pregnancy, very heavy flow, deficiency-cold. Frequency: 1–2 bowls a month, no frequent use. Shi Jian Chuan is a medicinal piece — not ordinary food; do not use it freely in large amounts.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The raw and cut forms differ mainly in dryness and shape — the raw herb is sun-dried whole, the piece is the cut, dried herb, with no extra processing. It needs no special first, last, wrapped, or dissolved step — at home, soak the pieces 30 minutes in cold water, then decoct 15–20 minutes. Different forms cannot be converted directly — 10 g of pieces is not 10 g of extract; the active parts and ratios differ.

3. Dosage and How Long to Use

The classic prescription range is 6–15 g a day, adjusted to the pattern; food-use amounts stay below about 10 g a day. No long continuous use — no more than a week straight; for longer care, consult a practitioner or pharmacist. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and the elderly must consult a practitioner first — never decide the dose and period alone.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Deficiency-cold and weak spleen-stomach — fear of cold, frequent loose stools — the use can deepen the cold and worsen belly pain and diarrhea; pregnancy and nursing — the blood-moving and damp-clearing actions may affect the fetus or infant; consult a practitioner first; children and the elderly — weaker metabolism, strict dose control; liver or kidney impairment — the herb is metabolized by the liver-kidney; no self-use; allergy to mint-family or sage plants — avoid; people on anticoagulants or immunosuppressants — consult a practitioner first, watch for interactions.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

The herb may strengthen anticoagulants such as warfarin — its blood-moving action can raise the bleeding risk; it may affect blood-pressure and blood-sugar medicines — monitor and adjust doses; it may deepen sedatives — drowsiness. No blanket "food clash" with ordinary foods is established, but herbs can interact with specific medicines — check with a doctor or pharmacist before combining food or medicine.

3. Side Effects and Overuse

Reasonable use is generally mild; overuse or improper use can bring stomach-gut discomfort — nausea, vomiting, belly pain, diarrhea — or light dizziness and fatigue. Allergic reactions may show as rash, itching, or rapid breathing. Stop and seek care at once for marked discomfort, persistent vomiting, trouble breathing, confusion, or a rapid worsening of symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shi Jian Chuan

What is Shijianchuan? Is it the same as Banzhilian or Baihuasheshecao?

Shijianchuan is the dried aerial part of Salvia chinensis, Latin name Salviae Chinensis Herba. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on activating blood and transforming stasis, clearing heat and draining dampness, and dissipating binds and reducing swelling. Banzhilian clears heat and detoxifies while activating blood. Baihuasheshecao clears heat and detoxifies while draining dampness. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Shijianchuan. Use with caution in pregnancy.

What are the composition and effects of Shijianchuan?

Pharmacopoeial name Shijianchuan, Latin Salvia chinensis Benth. Bitter and pungent in taste, neutral in nature, enters the Liver and Spleen meridians. Functions to activate blood and transform stasis, clear heat and drain dampness, and dissipate binds and reduce swelling. Used for jaundice, damp-heat strangury, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, masses and accumulations, traumatic injuries, and swelling and toxicity. Activates blood and dissipates binds.

How to choose between raw and processed? Can Banzhilian replace it?

Aerial part is used raw. Banzhilian emphasizes detoxifying rather than strongly dissipating binds, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Shijianchuan? Can it be used daily as a blood-activating tea?

Decoction, 9-15g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Shijianchuan tea." Pregnancy will be further injured by prolonged use. Masses require short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

What are the contraindications of Shijianchuan? Can pregnant women use it?

Use with caution in pregnancy. Not suitable without stasis and stagnation. Stop if bleeding or abdominal pain occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe masses or high fever.

Can Shijianchuan activate blood, transform stasis, and dissipate binds?

It can assist jaundice, damp-heat strangury, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, masses and accumulations, traumatic injuries, and swelling and toxicity. It activates blood and transforms stasis, clears heat and drains dampness, and dissipates binds and reduces swelling, but is not a specific remedy for all masses or all swelling and toxicity.

Can Shijianchuan be taken daily as a blood-activating or bind-dissipating tea?

Blood-stasis masses can be used short-term in formulas; pregnancy will be further injured. The idea that "Shijianchuan must activate blood" cannot replace evaluation. Activating blood and dissipating binds requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Shijianchuan, Banzhilian, Baihuasheshecao, Sanleng, and Ezhu?

Shijianchuan activates blood and dissipates binds, suited to masses. Banzhilian clears heat and detoxifies. Baihuasheshecao clears heat and drains dampness. Sanleng breaks blood and moves qi. Ezhu breaks blood and moves qi while dispersing accumulation. Choose Shijianchuan for activating blood; Banzhilian for detoxifying; Baihuasheshecao for draining dampness; Sanleng for breaking blood; Ezhu for dispersing accumulation. Pattern differentiation applies, but use with caution in large doses during pregnancy.

How is Shijianchuan commonly modified? What is a representative usage?

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Sanleng for masses; add Banzhilian for damp-heat. Specify Shijianchuan; do not substitute Banzhilian in equal amounts for dissipating binds.

How to select and store Shijianchuan?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact aerial parts. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Shijianchuan"; do not substitute Banzhilian or Baihuasheshecao in equal amounts for activating blood, transforming stasis, and dissipating binds.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.