Stems and woodsWind-damp dispellingKadsurae Heteroclitae Caulis

Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng (Heteroclite Kadsura Stem)

A practical guide to Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng: 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 29, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Kadsurae Heteroclitae Caulis
Chinese Name & Pinyin	廣西海風藤 · Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng
Medicinal Part	Stems and woods
The item	Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is the dried stem of the kadsura pepper vine. Du Huo (angelica pubescens root) and the pepper-family look-alike stems are not this drug.
Nature and channels	Slightly warm, acrid, bitter. Enters the Liver. Slightly warm acrid bitter dispels wind-damp, frees the channels, and eases cramping.
Pharmacopoeia line	Dispels wind-damp and frees the channels. Used for wind-cold-damp blockage, aching joints, and cramping sinews.
Pattern cues	Cold aching joints. Worse in cold. Stiff shoulders and neck. Locked knees. Limb cramping. Movement that pulls.
In this article	Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng versus Du Huo and Qing Feng Teng. Dispelling wind-damp versus freeing the channels. Why damp-heat and dry-heat bodies should skip it. Home wash-and-soak.

What Is Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng?

Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng (广西海风藤; Guǎng Xī Hǎi Fēng Téng; Latin: Caulis Piperis Kadsurae; English: kadsura pepper stem) is the dried stem of the kadsura pepper vine, a climbing pepper-family plant of southern mountain woods, gathered in autumn, cleaned, sliced, and sun-dried — the modest-looking vine stem that sits in many family medicine boxes for cold, aching joints as the season turns. It is slightly warm, acrid, and bitter, enters the Liver channel, and its core actions are to dispel wind-damp, and to free the channels. It is the gentle warmer for stiff limbs and blocked channels. The usual amount is 6–12 g a day in a decoction, or used in a wash-and-soak for joints. It is a medicinal piece — not a daily tea to keep drinking.

It is not Du Huo. Angelica pubescens root is acrid, bitter, and slightly warm — it dispels wind-damp and stops pain, better for deep low-back and knee pain; this pepper stem is acrid-bitter and slightly warm — it frees the channels and eases cramping, better for stiff shoulders, necks, and limbs. It is not a catch-all joint herb; it acts within clear patterns. In yin-deficiency internal heat — dry mouth, hot palms, night sweats — in damp-heat blockage with red, swollen joints, or in pregnancy, using it on your own is a poor match. Pain from an acute injury, or a joint that is hot, red, and swollen, needs a clinic first. Do not take it yourself for a long time.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Wind-cold-damp blockage — cold, aching joints, worse in cold, stiff to move — the classic autumn-winter joint discomfort
Chronic strain — stiff shoulders, neck, knees, limbs that feel locked — after long sitting or seasonal change
Damp-heat blockage with red swollen joints, yin-deficiency dry mouth, or acute injury pain — seek care / skip it

Slightly warm, acrid, and drying, it is not a daily "channel-freeing stem tea" to keep increasing. Dispersing when there is no wind-cold-damp, or in a dry-heat body, drains the yin instead of helping.

When wind-cold-damp blocks the channels, or years of sitting and cold slow the qi and blood — joints ache, limbs stiffen, movement pulls — the body needs a warm, gentle unblocking. Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is slightly warm, acrid, and bitter. It dispels the wind-damp, frees the channels, and eases the cramping, which is why it appears in Hai Feng Teng Tang (Kadsura Pepper Stem Decoction)–type formulas. It opens more than it holds. In damp-heat blockage, or yin-deficiency with internal heat, more makes it worse.

Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is not a catch-all wind, damp, or joint stem. In damp-heat blockage, in yin-deficiency heat, in pregnancy, or without wind-cold-damp, 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.

Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Kadsurae Heteroclitae Caulis

Botanical Origin

The dried vine stem of Kadsura heteroclita (Roxb.) Craib (Schisandraceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in Guangxi, and also in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is thick, dark brown, fragrant.

Macroscopic Features

Cylindrical, slightly curved, varying in length, 1~3cm diameter. Externally dark brown or brownish, with longitudinal wrinkles and transverse lenticels, often with residual leaf scars. Hard; cut surface is pale reddish-brown, with xylem and ray patterns, center with small pith. Faint fragrant odor, taste slightly pungent.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Classic texts and trade experience favor stems from several southern provinces — where the yield is largest — but quality still depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. Good Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is gray-brown or brown on the surface with longitudinal texture, swollen nodes with remnant roots, light and brittle, a thin bark, porous xylem with fine tubes, a gray-brown pith, a faint fragrant smell, and a slightly bitter-acrid taste. The raw and processed forms differ little — the processed form is simply clean-cut small segments. The common look-alike is the stem of Shan Ju, another pepper-family vine — thinner, with fewer node roots and a stronger smell — so check carefully.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Acrid, Bitter; Slightly warmLiver

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Ben Cao Zai Xin: "moves the channels, harmonizes the blood, opens the middle and sorts the qi, drains damp and removes wind, sorts low-back and leg qi, is used for hernia, and calms the fetus."
A provincial Chinese medicine manual: "for damp painful obstruction, aching joints, and weak low back and knees."
Zhong Hua Ben Cao: "dispels wind-damp and frees the channels; used for wind-cold-damp blockage, stiff joints, low-back and knee pain, and cramping sinews."

These records are traditional clinical experience, not a direct match to modern disease concepts.

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Some doctors leaned on dispelling wind-damp — for aching joints; others stressed freeing the channels — for channels blocked by strain; some noted the scope — it fits wind-cold-damp predominance, while damp-heat blockage needs pairing so the damp is not held in place. The refinement keeps it from being a universal joint herb.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Expels wind-dampness, unblocks collaterals and stops pain.

1. Main Use 1: Dispelling Wind-Damp and Freeing the Channels

(1) Traditional action: removing wind-damp from the limb channels and freeing channels blocked by evil qi or strain. (2) Typical patterns: wind-cold-damp blockage — aching joints, stiff to bend and stretch — or chronic strain — stiff shoulders, neck, and limbs with limited movement — worse in autumn-winter cold. (3) Usual pairings: Du Huo and Qiang Huo to strengthen the wind-damp clearing; Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong to move blood and free the channels. (4) Not for self-use: damp-heat blockage — red, swollen, clearly painful joints — or yin-deficiency internal heat — dry mouth, hot flushes — self-use may worsen the discomfort.

2. Main Use 2: Easing Pain and Relaxing Cramping

(1) Traditional action: easing limb pain and cramped sinews, relaxing tense tendons, and improving movement. (2) Typical patterns: joint pain and cramped sinews, or strain stiffness — pain on movement after long sitting, stiff knees and shoulders in the morning. (3) Usual pairings: Shen Jin Cao and Luo Shi Teng to relax the sinews; Niu Xi to guide the action downward for lower-limb discomfort. (4) Not for self-use: pain from an acute injury, or a tendency to bleed — consult a doctor first.

3. A Classic Pairing

Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng pairs classically with Du Huo: the stem frees the channels and eases cramping; the angelica root dispels wind-damp and stops pain — together they strengthen the wind-damp clearing, channel freeing, and pain easing for wind-cold-damp blockage with aching, stiff joints — especially for long-standing patterns with marked channel blockage. 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 stem are volatile oils, lignans, flavonoids, and alkaloids. In vitro, some extracts appear to regulate inflammation-linked cytokines; in animals, the extract at certain doses eases joint swelling. No sufficient human clinical study yet defines the effects in people.

2. Current Research Directions

Current work centers on the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving potential of the constituents — in animal models, extracts lessen local joint inflammation and pain symptoms to a degree. These studies are mostly in-vitro and animal-stage; human studies on the real effect, the right dose, and the right way to use it are still needed.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — component effects may differ from the piece's effect in people.
Extracts are not decoction pieces — experimental doses cannot be converted to the piece dose.
Doses and preparations vary between studies — the reference value is limited.
One component does not define the whole herb — the stem acts as a team of constituents.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Both dispel wind-damp and free the channels.
Both are used for aching joints and limited movement.
Both appear in wind-damp pain formulas and related food-remedy scenes.
Both need constitution and dose care — no casual overuse.

2. Key Differences

Nature and flavor: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is slightly warm, acrid, and bitter — warm-freeing, fitting wind-cold-damp blockage; Qing Feng Teng is flat and bitter — balanced, without a marked cold-heat side, fitting more damp-heat painful obstruction. Focus: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng frees the channels and eases cramping — relaxing tense sinews and improving stiff movement; Qing Feng Teng dispels wind-damp and frees the urine — besides easing joint pain, it helps the urine and reduces swelling. Tendency: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng scatters and warms, leaning upward-outward — freeing the upper limbs and surface; Qing Feng Teng drains and descends — moving water downward and inward, handling lower-body and inner blockage. Best fit: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng for cold-aching limbs that worsen in cold with cramping — chilly knees in autumn-winter; Qing Feng Teng for red swollen joints with urinary difficulty, or heavy limbs and swelling — damp-heat signs. Who should avoid: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng — yin-deficiency internal heat, damp-heat blockage; Qing Feng Teng — cold-weak spleen-stomach, frequent urination — its draining may weigh on the middle or worsen the frequency. Where you meet them: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng in chronic-strain and autumn-winter limb formulas and daily wash-soaks; Qing Feng Teng more in damp-heat painful obstruction or joint discomfort with swelling — rarely in home wash-soaks.

3. One-Line Takeaway

In short, Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng warms and frees the channels to ease cramping; Qing Feng Teng drains damp and clears damp-heat pain. Both can serve wind-damp pain — but they are not stand-ins for each other.

Classical Formulas Containing Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng

Classic Formula 1: Hai Feng Teng Tang

Role of this herb: in Hai Feng Teng Tang (Kadsura Pepper Stem Decoction), Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is the monarch — dispelling wind-damp, freeing the channels, and easing pain — with Du Huo supporting the wind-damp clearing and pain easing, and Dang Gui and Niu Xi moving blood and freeing the channels. Together they relieve wind-cold-damp blockage; alone, the stem's effect is too narrow for the whole pattern. Traditional focus: wind-cold-damp blockage — aching, stiff joints, weak low back and knees — especially long-standing patterns with marked channel blockage. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — never self-apply by the name to a modern complaint.

Classic Formula 2: Feng Shi Gu Tong Jiu

Role of this herb: in Feng Shi Gu Tong Jiu (Wind-Damp Bone-Pain Wine), Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is a minister — Wei Ling Xian (clematis root) leads the wind-damp clearing, and the stem frees the channels, with Hong Hua moving blood to strengthen the channel freeing. Alone, a stem-only wine cannot match the formula — it lacks the monarch's core action and the partners' support. Traditional focus: wind-cold-damp blockage — aching, heavy joints with limited movement. Modern note: a wine preparation — consult a doctor first, respect drinking cautions, never self-drink.

Formula vs. Single Herb

A formula is a coordinated team — each herb carries a role, and Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng is only one part; a single herb cannot copy the whole formula's effect. The doses and pairings are set by long clinical practice so the herbs work together. A herb that works in a formula does not automatically work the same way alone — do not self-formulate from web articles, and do not replace a formula's pairings with this stem alone.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Wash-and-Soak and Tea

Example 1 — Hai Feng Teng ginger wash-and-soak: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng 30 g, Sheng Jiang 15 g, Hua Jiao 10 g — rinse, add 1500 ml water, boil then simmer 20 minutes, pour into a basin, steam the joint first, then soak or wipe it once the liquid is warm, about 20 minutes a session. Fit: autumn-winter cold, aching joints from wind-cold-damp — especially knees, shoulders, and neck. Not for: damp-heat blockage with red swollen joints, or broken skin. Frequency: 2–3 times a week, no more. Example 2 — Hai Feng Teng jujube tea: Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng 10 g, Hong Zao 3 (pitted), Sheng Jiang 3 slices — steep in boiling water, cover 10 minutes, re-steep until faint. Fit: daily stiffness and light limb ache from long sitting — for cooler bodies. Not for: yin-deficiency internal heat with dry mouth. Frequency: 1–2 times a week, one cup each, no long unbroken stretches.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The raw stem is the common piece and needs no special processing. At home, no first, last, or wrapped step — cook it with the other herbs; keep the boiling time short, about 15–20 minutes after the water boils. Different forms cannot be converted directly — a wash-soak liquid and a tea differ in strength; no casual dose adjustment.

3. Dosage and How Long to Use

The classic range is 6–12 g a day in formulas; for food-remedy and tea use the amount drops, generally 3–10 g. Food-remedy doses are lighter — supportive care; medicinal doses aim at a specific pattern. No long continuous use — a usual cycle is 1–2 weeks; if the discomfort does not ease, consult a practitioner.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Yin-deficiency internal heat — dry mouth, hot flushes and night sweats, hot palms and soles — avoid, it can worsen the inner heat; pregnancy and nursing — be cautious, consult a practitioner; children and the elderly — weaker metabolism, adjust the dose under guidance; liver or kidney impairment — consult a doctor before use; allergy to the pepper family — avoid; people on anticoagulant, blood-pressure, blood-sugar, or other therapy — consult a doctor first to avoid interactions.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng may interact with anticoagulants and affect their action — anyone on them should be cautious; it may also interact with blood-pressure and blood-sugar medicines — monitor blood pressure and blood sugar. No blanket "food clash" with ordinary foods is established, but herbs can interact with specific medicines — consult a doctor or pharmacist before combining.

3. Side Effects and Overuse

Possible discomfort includes dry mouth, stomach upset, and rash. Stop and seek care at once for marked discomfort, an allergic reaction, persistent vomiting, trouble breathing, confusion, or a rapid worsening of symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng

What is Guangxi Haifengteng? Is it the same as Haifengteng or Luoshiteng?

Guangxi Haifengteng is the dried vine stem of Piper kadsura, Latin name Piperis Kadsurae Caulis. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on dispelling wind-damp, unblocking the channels and collaterals, and stopping bi pain. Haifengteng dispels wind-damp while unblocking collaterals. Luoshiteng dispels wind and unblocks collaterals while cooling the blood. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Guangxi Haifengteng. Use with caution in pregnancy.

What are the composition and effects of Guangxi Haifengteng?

Pharmacopoeial name Guangxi Haifengteng, Latin Piper kadsura (Choisy) Ohwi. Pungent and bitter in taste, slightly warm in nature, enters the Liver meridian. Functions to dispel wind-damp, unblock the channels and collaterals, and stop bi pain. Used for wind-cold-damp bi, limb and joint pain, sinew and vessel contracture, and impaired flexion and extension. Dispels wind and unblocks collaterals.

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

Vine stem is used raw. Haifengteng emphasizes unblocking collaterals rather than strongly stopping bi pain, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Guangxi Haifengteng? Can it be used daily as a collateral-unblocking tea?

Decoction, 6-12g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Guangxi Haifengteng tea." Pregnancy will be further injured by prolonged use. Bi pain requires short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

What are the contraindications of Guangxi Haifengteng? Can pregnant women use it?

Use with caution in pregnancy. Not suitable without wind-damp. Stop if bleeding or abdominal pain occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe bi pain or high fever.

Can Guangxi Haifengteng dispel wind-damp, unblock collaterals, and stop bi pain?

It can assist wind-cold-damp bi, limb and joint pain, sinew and vessel contracture, and impaired flexion and extension. It dispels wind-damp, unblocks the channels and collaterals, and stops bi pain, but is not a specific remedy for all bi pain or all contracture.

Can Guangxi Haifengteng be taken daily as a collateral-unblocking or pain-stopping tea?

Wind-cold-damp bi can be used short-term in formulas; pregnancy will be further injured. The idea that "Guangxi Haifengteng must unblock collaterals" cannot replace evaluation. Dispelling wind-damp and unblocking collaterals requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Guangxi Haifengteng, Haifengteng, Luoshiteng, Kuanjinteng, and Shenjincao?

Guangxi Haifengteng dispels wind-damp and stops bi pain, suited to limb and joint pain. Haifengteng dispels wind-damp and unblocks collaterals. Luoshiteng dispels wind and unblocks collaterals while cooling the blood. Kuanjinteng relaxes the sinews and activates the collaterals while relieving pain. Shenjincao dispels wind and eliminates dampness while relaxing the sinews. Choose Guangxi Haifengteng for unblocking collaterals; Haifengteng for dispelling wind; Luoshiteng for cooling the blood; Kuanjinteng for relaxing the sinews; Shenjincao for eliminating dampness. Pattern differentiation applies, but use with caution in large doses during pregnancy.

How is Guangxi Haifengteng commonly modified? What is a representative usage?

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Haifengteng for bi pain; add Shenjincao for contracture. Specify Guangxi Haifengteng; do not substitute Haifengteng in equal amounts for stopping bi pain.

How to select and store Guangxi Haifengteng?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact vine stems. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Guangxi Haifengteng"; do not substitute Haifengteng or Luoshiteng in equal amounts for dispelling wind-damp, unblocking collaterals, and stopping bi pain.

Related Products

Nong's Guang Xi Hai Feng Teng Concentrated Granules

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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.