Unmasking Li Tian: The Legal Representative of the 'Mugwort Cigarette' Company Who Claimed to Be a Descendant of Li Shizhen

After The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) published a Shadow Investigation report titled "Toxic 'Health Cigarettes': E-commerce Platforms Hype 'Nourishing Lungs' Claims While Mysterious Manufacturers Remain Elusive," Li Tian, the legal representative of the implicated Hubei Zhong'ai Agricultural Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zhong'ai Company), finally broke his silence.

On June 24, Li Tian stated that the 'Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette' was produced by a friend named Li Shuangkang, whom he knew in Xiangyang. Li Shuangkang used Li Tian's registered trademark and found a factory in Zigong, Sichuan to manufacture the product. Li Tian claimed he was not involved in the production or sale of the product but had given it as a gift to clients.

Additionally, Li Tian responded to claims that he is the '15th-generation descendant of Li Shizhen.' He said this was a joke he shared with friends. 'People in the mugwort business with the surname Li are relatively rare,' he explained. After media outlets picked up the story and search engines indexed it, he said it became 'too troublesome to correct the record.'

On the afternoon of June 25, The Paper learned from relevant departments in Xiangyang that the city's market regulatory authorities had launched a joint investigation with public security agencies and the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau. Law enforcement officers have traveled to other provinces to investigate Li Shuangkang.

The case is currently under further investigation.

Online Mugwort Cigarettes Claimed to Nourish Lungs — Journalists Could Not Find the Manufacturer

The Paper previously reported that the 'Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette' claimed to be nicotine-free and contain mugwort, ginseng, cordyceps, saffron, and other Chinese herbs, touting benefits such as health maintenance, dampness relief, lung nourishment, and blood vessel cleansing — positioned as a 'cigarette substitute.' However, inhaling mugwort products not only fails to deliver these claimed benefits but is actually harmful. Burning mugwort and herbs produces particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, tar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other toxic substances. Significant smoke inhalation poses poisoning risks, and doctors warn consumers to stay away from all smokable 'health cigarette' products.

Packaging information on the 'Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette' shows it was produced by Hubei Zhong'ai Agricultural Group Co., Ltd. (Zhong'ai Company), with the production address listed at the Li Shizhen Medical Port in Caohe Town, Qichun County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province. Main ingredients include ginseng (artificially cultivated), Qiai mugwort, cordyceps, saffron, and panax notoginseng, under product standard Q/ZAJT002-2025. However, the packaging lacks crucial information such as batch numbers. The Paper's journalists visited both Xiangyang and Huanggang in Hubei but could not locate the actual production site, and calls to Li Tian went unanswered.

After the report was published, the 'Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette' was removed from major e-commerce platforms. The Fancheng District Market Supervision Administration in Xiangyang issued a notice stating that preliminary investigations found the e-commerce operator涉嫌 violating advertising laws. Related suspects were taken compulsory measures by public security authorities in other provinces for other cases, and investigations are proceeding according to legal procedures. The authorities pledged to speed up the investigation, fully uncover the facts, handle the case strictly according to law, and protect consumer rights.

The Company Owner Has Multiple Companies and Serves as a Xiangyang CPPCC Standing Committee Member

The Paper's investigation found that Li Tian has registered multiple companies in Xiangyang (Hubei), Huanggang (Hubei), and Yili (Xinjiang), including Zhong'ai Company, Hubei Natural Story Great Health Technology Co., Ltd., Zhong'ai Pharmaceutical Hubei Co., Ltd., Yili Authentic Medicinal Materials Co., Ltd., and Hubei Xiangchuan Brand Consulting Management Co., Ltd., spanning Chinese herbal medicine cultivation, business agency services, and general retail.

Li Tian also serves as a member and standing committee member of the 15th CPPCC Xiangyang Committee, and his achievements have been frequently covered by media outlets.

According to Hubei Daily, Li Tian actively responded to government calls and joined the mugwort health industry. While developing Qiai mugwort cultivation, Li Tian successfully registered brands such as 'Li Shengxian' and 'Huguang Li Shizhen,' producing mugwort foot bath packs, moxa sticks, moxa cones, and moxibustion patches, and began developing deep-processing equipment such as mugwort fluffing machines.

Notably, media reports have labeled Li Tian with the special identity of 'Li Shizhen's descendant.' One report claimed that in a rural revitalization talent TV competition hosted by China Central Television's Agricultural Film and Television Center, '15th-generation descendant Li Tian' won the highest award — the Golden Scale Award. Another report stated that as the 'Xiang'ai' brand leader, Li Tian also held the identity of the 'Medicine Sage' Li Shizhen's 15th-generation descendant.

Li Tian Believed Mugwort Cigarettes Were 'Healthier Than Tobacco'

On June 24, Li Tian told The Paper in a phone interview that his core business is mugwort cultivation. In 2025, his long-time acquaintance Li Shuangkang — who knew Li Tian was in the mugwort business and had registered the 'Huguang Li Shizhen' trademark — contacted him and proposed using Li Tian's trademark. 'Li Shuangkang is from Fancheng District, Xiangyang. Years ago he ran a local errand service. We had some contact and did charity work together. He said he wanted to develop an inhalable health cigarette based on what he saw online, and he just needed me to authorize the trademark — everything else was on him.'

According to Li Tian, Li Shuangkang saw many similar mugwort cigarette products being sold online and contacted contract manufacturers to produce samples. Initial attempts were unsuccessful — some samples broke apart, others grew mold easily. Eventually, a factory in Zigong, Sichuan produced 'qualified' versions of the 'Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette.' Li Shuangkang then hired people to develop enterprise standards, design packaging, and begin mass production. 'This was roughly between May and July last year. At first, raw mugwort was shipped from Hubei, but later, realizing the cost was too high, Li Shuangkang switched to locally sourcing mugwort leaves from Sichuan. By July or August, Li Shuangkang had been arrested by public security authorities from another province on suspicion of criminal offenses.'

When asked whether he knew that producing the 'Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette' required relevant approvals, Li Tian replied: 'I thought that during moxibustion therapy, the smoke is breathable, and since this could also be used for moxibustion, it must be healthier than tobacco. Besides, I hadn't heard that it needed any special permits. Later, Li Shuangkang's wife arranged for company-level testing, and the results showed no hazards.'

Testing Report and Product Safety

A testing report issued by the Shunde Branch of Centre Testing International Group Co., Ltd. on March 4, 2026, showed that the 'Huguang Li Shizhen 1518 Mugwort Incense Cigarette raw material particles' underwent smoke non-toxicity testing and PM2.5 emission testing. The results showed 'test animals (mice) behaved normally with no toxic reactions' and PM2.5 levels of 152 micrograms per cubic meter. Additionally, no nicotine or tobacco components were detected in the samples.

Li Tian said Li Shuangkang and his wife handled all online and offline sales channels independently, though Li Shuangkang gave him some inventory to distribute as gifts to friends and clients to reduce entertainment expenses. 'I checked with Qichun authorities, and they said innovative products weren't prohibited, but before determining they could be marketed, they could only be distributed as gifts, non-sale items, or tasting samples — they couldn't circulate on the open market.'

The Paper noted that while Li Tian claimed to have been fully aware of the production situation, when consumer Mr. Xu — who had purchased large quantities of the product — filed a complaint in April 2026, the Xiangyang Xiangcheng District Market Supervision Bureau reported that Li Tian told its investigators that Zhong'ai Company only cultivates mugwort, does not engage in processing or manufacturing, and does not sell on e-commerce platforms.

Company Statement and Settlement

During Mr. Xu's rights protection process, Zhong'ai Company issued a statement on May 29 claiming that 'certain professional fraudsters,' unable to reach agreements with online stores and platforms, had filed批量 repetitive reports against the manufacturer. The company asserted that after thorough investigation by market regulatory authorities at provincial, city, and county levels, the 'unreasonable demands' were legally dismissed. Li Tian said that on June 17, he paid 25,000 yuan on behalf of Li Shuangkang to Mr. Xu and coordinated a refund-only settlement, reaching an agreement between both parties.

Expert Refutes Li Tian's Li Shizhen Descendant Claim: No Evidence and Age Mismatch

Regarding his claim to be the '15th-generation descendant of Li Shizhen,' Li Tian responded that it was just a joke with friends — 'people in the mugwort business with the surname Li are relatively rare.' After media coverage and search engine indexing, correcting the record became too troublesome, and he has not mentioned the Li Shizhen descendant claim since.

Zhang Liangshen, Director of the Li Shizhen Science, Technology and Culture Research Institute, who has been researching Li Shizhen for over 40 years, told The Paper that Li Shizhen's fame is so great that some individuals exploit his descendant identity for personal gain without any credible evidence. 'There are too many of these people, and Li Tian is one I know of,' Zhang said.

Zhang explained that Li Shizhen has multiple lines of descendants. Since the 1970s, researchers have been searching for and verifying his descendants. The undisputed, verifiable branches include those living in and around Qichun County, in Fujian Province, and as far away as the United States. 'The average Chinese generation is 28 years. Academically, generation counting starts from Li Shizhen's grandfather Li Xiaoshan. Li Shizhen is the third generation, and current descendants are around the 21st to 22nd generation.' Zhang said that if Li Tian truly were the 15th-generation descendant, he would have been born during the Republican era — clearly inconsistent with his actual age.