Last month, a lucky group of eight Yo San students found themselves in Taipei, Taiwan on a grand one-week adventure. These Yo San ambassadors, accompanied by Herb Lab Manager Yu-Hong Chen and Academic Dean Lawrence Lau, were the guests of Sheng Chang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., known to us here as Qualiherb. The Mission: to observe, share, study, and, as we would learn along the way, to EAT. It was a trip we will never forget.

Day one began with a visit to Sheng Chang’s factory in Chung Ho City, where our group was immediately presented with tea and special gifts. We learned about the many steps and stringent standards used to transform raw herbs into the Qualiherb herbal powders that we prescribe for our patients here at the Yo San clinic. Incredibly, Sheng Chang manufactures 782 different products each year. We gained a new appreciation for how many people ensure the quality and safety of our herbs before they ever reach our patients.

For a first-hand look at the manufacturing process, we were privileged to have Vice President Dr. Chun-yu Liu take us on a personal tour of Sheng Chang's newest factory. As we watched through windows, we could smell the familiar aroma of herbs cooking. We also visited the facilities where raw herbs are washed and processed, witnessing methods such as the curing of Ban Xia with ginger and dry-frying of Suan Zao Ren.

We visited private clinics and Chang Geng University Hospital's Chinese Medicine Department, with its computerized herbal pharmacy. We also toured some of Taipei's attractions, including the National Palace Museum, the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, and a natural hot springs spa. Some of us even got to be patients, experiencing acupuncture, herbal powders, and herbal steam treatments.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention our fabulous tour guide and now friend, Samuel Chang, General Manager of Finemost Corporation (USA). Samuel set up our tours and entertained us with his best jokes as we traveled on the Sheng Chang bus. A special thanks also goes to Brendan Chen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Sheng Chang Pharmaceutical Co., who hosted many of our meals. Thanks also to the many senior executives from Sheng Chang who added so much to our visit: Vice Presidents Chun-Yu Liu, Yiang-Hwei Yeh, and Ching-Chung Yu.

And, did I mention the food? Throughout the week, we were treated to increasingly exquisite 10 to 12 course lunches and dinners, culminating in an awesome banquet. From sashimi boats, lobster platters and braised abalone to local specialties such as salt-baked chicken, grilled lamb and the delectable fruit Lian-Wu, we had it all!

This was truly an adventure and an experience of a lifetime. And we couldn't have done it without the care and constant assistance of Yu-Hong Chen and Dr. Lau. Thanks to you both, and to Qualiherb for giving us this extraordinary opportunity!