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Cura x Cura

Qing Pi青皮

Citri Reticulatae Viride Pericarpium · Green Tangerine Peel · Unripe Tangerine Peel

Herbs that Regulate the Qi 理气药《本草图经》

Overview

The unripe green peel of the mandarin — the same fruit that gives Chen Pi, but picked young and correspondingly sharper. Bitter, acrid and warm, it does not merely move qi, it breaks it: entering the Liver and Gallbladder, it forces apart stubborn constraint in the flanks, breasts and groin, and disperses food that has stalled in the stomach. Processing softens it — dry-fried Qing Pi is easier on the stomach, vinegar-fried Qing Pi is drawn into the Liver and best for pain, and wine-fried Qing Pi carries the action up and out to the chest and flanks.

Nature & Flavor

Bitter, acrid · Warm

Channels

Liver · Gallbladder · Stomach

Typical Dosage

3–9 g in decoction
青皮Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Courses the Liver, breaks up constrained qiDistending flank pain, breast distension and lumps, hernial pain dragging into the groin.
  • Disperses accumulation, resolves stagnant foodEpigastric and abdominal fullness with belching after eating; food stagnation with distension.
  • Prepared formsVinegar-frying focuses the herb on the Liver and eases pain; dry-frying tempers its harshness on the stomach; wine-frying lifts the action toward the chest and flanks. The unprocessed peel is the strongest and most draining of the four.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Qing Pi

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Flank and breast distension and pain from constrained Liver qi
    - Hernial pain and groin distension
    - Food stagnation with epigastric fullness and belching
    - Palpable masses in chronic patterns (in formula)

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

BloatingBreast tendernessIndigestionHernia pain

Contraindications

Cautions

Strongly qi-breaking and draining: unsuitable for qi deficiency, profuse sweating, or frail elderly patients, and best used in short courses rather than as a long-term digestive. Reduce or stop once the distension resolves.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution in pregnancy — its qi-breaking action is avoided unless a practitioner judges otherwise.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    3. 《中药大辞典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.