Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang
Star青蒿鳖甲汤 (Artemisia Annua and Soft-shelled Turtle Shell Decoction)
Source: Wen Bing Tiao Bian (1798)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang (Artemisia Annua and Soft-shelled Turtle Shell Decoction), from the Wen Bing Tiao Bian, is used to nourish the Yin; reduce and vent deficient heat.
Presentation: heat smoldering in the Yin region at the late stage of warm-febrile disease; fever at night receding in the morning without sweating; emaciation without loss of appetite; tongue: red with little coating; pulse: thready and rapid.
Syndrome: Syndrome of aftermath of warm-febrile diseases.
Composition strategy:
- Venting heat from the Yin level via the Bie Jia + Qing Hao pair (clearing plus dispersing)
- Tonify while reducing: uses non-cloying Yin-nourishing herbs since sweet tonics may retain smoldering heat; salty, sweet, bitter and pungent tastes with cold temperature nourish Yin, reduce and vent heat
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 89.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheng Di Huang
as printed: Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix)
|
12g | 25% | Chen (Deputy) | nourish Kidney-Yin, reduce deficient heat |
|
Zhi Mu
as printed: Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae rhizoma)
|
6g | 12.5% | Chen (Deputy) | nourish Kidney-Yin, reduce deficient heat |
|
Mu Dan Pi
as printed: Mu Dan Pi (Moutan cortex)
|
9g | 18.75% | Chen (Deputy) | reduce deficient heat in the blood, cool and move blood |
|
Qing Hao
core pair with Bie Jia; book names the pair as envoy; as printed: Qing Hao (Artemisiae annuae herba)
|
6g | 12.5% | Shi (Envoy) | vent heat from the Yin region to the Yang region |
|
Bie Jia
core pair with Qing Hao; book names the pair as envoy; toxic mark ** in source; as printed: Bie Jia (Trionycis carapax)
|
15g | 31.25% | Shi (Envoy) | enter the Yin level, reduce deficient heat, lead Qing Hao inward |
Dui Yao — Core Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations at the heart of this formula, as recorded on the herbs' own pages — each pair has an action neither herb has alone.
Energetics dose-weighted
The formula's overall nature, taste balance and channel reach, weighted by each herb's dose. Classical formulas often pair warm and cool herbs on purpose, so a net figure summarises the mix — it doesn't describe every herb in it.
Nature
Net cold (-1.50)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 50%, cool 50%.
Taste
- pungent 16%
- sweet 19%
- bitter 34%
- salty 31%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Kidney 100%
- Liver 88%
- Heart 44%
- Stomach 25%
- Lung 13%
- Bladder 13%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
Dose-weighted from each herb's recorded nature, taste and channels (missing values are left out, never counted as neutral). It describes the composition — it is not a recommendation.
Preparation
Decoction, from 5 cups down to 3, in two doses a day; add Artemisia at the end to avoid prolonged heat.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 212.
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- Zi Yin Qing Re Tang = this formula without Bie Jia + Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang + Bai Wei, Chai Hu, Da Zao, Di Gu Pi, Fu Xiao Mai, Huang Bai, Suan Zao Ren and Ye Jiao Teng
Each entry reads as the larger formula written out: “+” adds its other catalogue cores, then the herbs none of them hold. A catalogue formula counts as a core only when at least 80% of its herbs are present, no more than 1 is absent, and the absent herb is not its chief.
Formula Network
Formulas that share herbs with this one — the closer to the centre, the stronger the match. Click a node to explore.
Similar Formulas by composition
Match score combines dosage-weighted composition (cosine, 70%) with shared-herb overlap (Jaccard, 30%).
Traditional formula information is for educational purposes only. Herbal formulas should be prescribed by a qualified practitioner — dosages and combinations are individualized and can interact with medications.
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