Almost every post-80s and post-90s generation has an unforgettable memory from their growth process, and that is the magical elixir passed down from their parents or grandparents' hands - Feng You Jing (Essence of the Wind).

In an era when resources were relatively scarce, Feng You Jing won the favor of countless people with its excellent mosquito-repellent and itch-relieving effects, as well as its significant ability to refresh and invigorate the mind.

However, with the continuous emergence of traditional Chinese medicine mosquito repellents such as Liu Shen and Run Ben, and the increasing diversification of products in the market, Feng You Jing gradually faded from people's sight.

Unexpectedly, the ordinary Feng You Jing that we take for granted has transformed into a "Divine Oil of the East" on the distant African continent.

Advertisement

For Africans, Feng You Jing not only has mosquito-repellent and itch-relieving effects but is also a good medicine for treating headaches, joint pain, sore throats, and other diseases.

When experiencing physical discomfort such as menstrual pain or colds with fever, applying Feng You Jing is also widely adopted.

Some Africans even regard Feng You Jing as a medicine that can be consumed orally, stating: "Although the taste is not very good, the therapeutic effect is good."

Public data shows that in 2021 alone, China exported a total of 4029.5 tons of Feng You Jing to the African region, with a trade volume of about 163 million yuan, bringing considerable foreign exchange income to China.

The extent of the African people's admiration for Feng You Jing and the scope of its use are even more astonishing.The origin of Feng You Jing can be traced back to the 1970s.

At that time, a spice factory in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, based on in-depth research of traditional Chinese medicine, successfully integrated aromatic components such as camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus oil with effective ingredients like methyl salicylate and eugenol through relentless exploration and practice, meticulously developing a greenish liquid.

This liquid was named Feng You Jing at the time due to its significant cooling, itching-relief, and revitalizing effects.

The spice factory recognized the immense market potential of Feng You Jing and promptly registered the "Narcissus Brand" trademark for this new product and began to promote it in the market.

With its unique effects and affordable price, Narcissus Brand Feng You Jing quickly won the favor and trust of a broad consumer base.

Within just two years after production, its annual sales volume exceeded 8 million bottles, becoming a shining pearl in the market at that time.

Within 10 years of production, the sales volume of Narcissus Feng You Jing soared to an astonishing 17 million bottles.

This achievement not only made the Zhangzhou Spice Factory widely known but also gradually made Feng You Jing a representative of national anti-itch medication.

In that era, almost every household would keep a bottle of Narcissus Feng You Jing on hand for emergencies.

However, the emergence of Liu Shen Hua Lu Shui produced by Shanghai Jia Hua Factory brought a completely new transformation to the entire mosquito repellent market.This magical floral water is based on six traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients—menthol, borneol, honeysuckle, snake gall, artificial bezoar, and artificial musk.

It not only retains the fresh fragrance of traditional floral water but also incorporates multiple effects such as mosquito repellent, itch relief, refreshing the mind, and preventing prickly heat.

The advent of Liu Shen floral water has been like a dazzling star, quickly attracting the attention of many consumers. As soon as it hit the market, it was snapped up by the market.

With the rise in popularity of Liu Shen floral water, the traditional camphor oil market began to gradually decline.

Although there are many manufacturers of camphor oil, their scale is generally small and cannot compete with giants like Shanghai Jahwa.

In recent years, a variety of mosquito repellent products have emerged, especially after the United States, Europe, and Japan have developed a large number of ointments that use antihistamines or corticosteroid ingredients to achieve real itch relief and anti-inflammatory effects.

Not only traditional camphor oil products, but even well-known brands like Liu Shen are facing market competition.

Faced with the predicament of the domestic market, camphor oil has to start looking for a way out.

On the vast African continent, those seemingly insignificant and often overlooked mosquitoes have become the real "number one killer" on this land with astonishing destructive power.

These mosquitoes are not only diverse in species, but also highly toxic and have an astonishing number.Once bitten, a swollen, red bump is left, which is painful and itchy, making it unbearable and with a rather long recovery time. In addition to mosquitoes, Africa is also home to many other insects that strike fear into people's hearts. For example, there are mango flies that can cause rot when they land on the skin, and sulfur ants that corrode the skin, among various other poisonous and foul insects, posing a great threat to the lives of Africans. According to data released by the World Health Organization, every year more than 602,000 Africans unfortunately die from malaria transmitted by mosquitoes, a number that is undoubtedly alarming. For thousands of years, the people of Africa have been waging a hard and extraordinary war against mosquitoes. They have tried various methods to combat these repulsive insects, but the results have been less than satisfactory. To vent their anger, many regions even catch mosquitoes, make them into cakes, and eat them to express their disgust and hatred for these insects. Therefore, when the first bottle of mentholatum arrived in Africa, the people of Africa were so pleasantly surprised. It is speculated that the arrival of mentholatum in Africa may have begun in the 1980s. At that time, many Chinese people who went abroad on public funds, lacking a full understanding of foreign consumer culture, chose to give the cooling oil they carried with them as gifts. It is not hard to imagine how delighted the people of Africa were when they first came into contact with this magical item, mentholatum, and found out that fighting mosquitoes could be so convenient and efficient - just a few drops can quickly get rid of the trouble.Subsequently, rumors about a "magic potion" from China spread rapidly in Africa, arousing widespread attention and curiosity.

Although the formula of Feng You Jing may seem simple and clear, the selection of raw materials and the manufacturing process rely on a mature industrial system to be realized.

Looking back at the initial production stage of Feng You Jing, its production technology was once a national patent, which shows the complexity and uniqueness of its manufacturing process.

In Africa, due to relatively lagging industrial development, many basic materials and production technologies are difficult to be self-sufficient.

Therefore, even though the list of ingredients for Feng You Jing has been made public, Africans still find it hard to produce this magical liquid independently.

Feng You Jing became a "rare item" in Africa, also because at that time, the product was very rare in Africa, and almost no stores sold it.

Those Africans who were fortunate enough to get Feng You Jing from Chinese people naturally became the object of everyone's envy. There are even African youths who have become life winners because of Feng You Jing.

Anthony is an older single man in Africa. Due to a coincidental opportunity, he came to China, and another coincidental opportunity, he found that Feng You Jing, which is highly sought after in Africa, is so cheap.

He had a brainwave and spent all his savings to buy several boxes of Feng You Jing, which shocked the owner of the Chinese pharmacy.

After returning to Africa, Anthony cleverly gave two bottles of Feng You Jing as a gift to the village chief, asking the village chief to help him solve his marriage issues. In addition, he also met the town mayor and the local police chief through the village chief, and successfully used Feng You Jing to establish a good relationship with local officials.Since then, Anthony embarked on a business path primarily focused on selling mentholatum.

The story of Anthony's economic takeoff through mentholatum not only reveals the development trends and potential opportunities of the African economy but also indirectly showcases the deep affection of African people for this magical liquid.

As mentholatum spreads and becomes popular in Africa, more and more Africans begin to understand and fall in love with this miraculous liquid, spreading its magical effects to more people through word of mouth.

At the same time, more Africans with business acumen like Anthony have also seen the business opportunity and started to try to introduce mentholatum from Chinese hands for sale.

Although the channels for obtaining mentholatum in Africa are gradually increasing and becoming more convenient, there are still many African people who prefer to get the product directly from Chinese hands.

After all, mentholatum that can be bought for a few yuan in China needs to be bought for dozens of yuan in Africa.

Even so, because of its wide applicability and popularity, mentholatum has become a kind of hard currency.

It can not only be used as a gift when meeting, but also as a tip, and even as a medium for exchanging local specialties.

Regardless of which stratum of African society, mentholatum is deeply loved by people and is often used as a gift, and its popularity has made it known as Africa's "Maotai", symbolizing nobility and uniqueness.

On the Internet, many travel notes and strategies about Africa all mention this suggestion unanimously:When encountering police extortion in Africa, offering a bottle of Tiger Balm can serve as an effective way to deal with the situation.

When faced with vendors who are unwilling to offer discounts, presenting a bottle of Tiger Balm often manages to persuade them.

And if one wishes to better integrate into the local community, simply taking out a bottle of Tiger Balm may lead to being treated as an honored guest.

A young man from Tanzania, Suleiman, received Tiger Balm from a Chinese person, and he humorously stated: "If Tiger Balm were a woman, I would definitely marry her."

Then, he gently touched the top of the small bottle with his index finger, and in the cargo vehicle under the scorching sun, he applied a dab of green liquid to the philtrum area.

As he took a deep breath, his head tilted back slightly, and for the next few minutes, his body was almost motionless except for the slight quivering of his nostrils.

Suleiman excitedly expressed:

"At first, I thought it was just a ridiculous joke; it smelled like expired pepper water.

However, after a while, I felt as if a refreshing stream of air was rushing to the top of my head. With just two applications, my symptoms of heatstroke were alleviated. I want to thank my Chinese brother."

Tiger Balm has found many unexpected uses in the hands of African people, almost capable of anything.Initially, it was primarily used to prevent mosquito bites. Gradually, whenever symptoms of a cold, or discomforts such as headaches, joint pain, sore throat, or menstrual cramps occurred, African people would like to apply a bit of it, truly a "panacea."

In addition, Feng You Jing has unexpectedly become an auxiliary tool in business management. The phenomenon of African employees slacking off is severe, often dozing off openly. Business owners creatively use Feng You Jing to invigorate their employees' spirits, applying it to the philtrum area to awaken dozing workers. Although it sometimes causes eye irritation and tearing, considering work continuity and safety hazards, this method is very effective.

Today, Feng You Jing has become an indispensable part of the lives of African people. It is not only a practical medicine but also a cultural symbol and a symbol of friendship. In fact, in addition to Feng You Jing, more and more products made in China are gradually occupying the African market and are well-received by the African people. For example, our country's real wigs, domestic Transsion mobile phones, gaming computer accessories, and Phoenix brand bicycles are all sought after by African people. Even second-hand clothes from China have become the new fashion favorite in African regions. According to relevant data, in 2020, the export value of second-hand clothes from China reached 350 million US dollars. Among them, the African region accounted for as high as 60%, after all, even simple school uniforms can become the "king of dressing" in Africa.Of course, as "Made in China" becomes popular in Africa, while we take pride in this, we should also be aware of the challenges and competition we face. Only by continuously adapting to market changes can we keep innovating and progressing, contributing more to the in-depth development of China-Africa friendship.