Natural Herb Library

Classic formula · Tonify qi

Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

香砂六君子汤 Six-Gentlemen Decoction with Aucklandia and Amomum

Liu Jun Zi Tang plus two aromatic herbs that move the stomach. For the tired, weak-digestion person who also bloats, belches, has a dull stomach ache, feels full after a few bites, and brings food back up. The formula for a Spleen that is both weak and stuck.

A weak stove with a jammed flue. The six gentlemen rebuild the stove and dry the damp; costus and amomum clear the flue so the smoke, and the gas, can get out.

9 herbs Source: Gu Jin Ming Yi Fang Lun (Discussion of Famous Physicians' Formulas Past and Present), Qing dynasty, 1675 Updated 2026-10-12 View API data

Also sold as: Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Wan · Xiang Sha Liu Jun Wan · Six Gentlemen Plus

Who Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang is for

This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.

With bloating and pain pattern Spleen Qi Deficiency Tired, worse after meals, Bloating and a sense of fullness after eating, Loose stools or stools that are soft and unformed, Poor appetite With qi stagnation pattern Dampness in the Spleen Heavy head, heavy limbs, a foggy feeling, Bloating and fullness after meals, Nausea, a sticky mouth, no appetite, Loose, sticky stools When the Spleen is weak pattern Liver Overacting on the Spleen Bloating and gut pain that follow stress, Loose stools or diarrhea after an upset, often with cramping, Alternating constipation and diarrhea, A knotted stomach, sighing, tight ribs

Signs it is classically given for

  • Bloating and distension after meals
  • Belching, a dull stomach ache
  • Feeling full after a few bites
  • Nausea or bringing food back up
  • Poor appetite with tiredness
  • Loose stools
  • Chronic gastritis or a sluggish stomach in a weak person
Tongue
Pale with a white greasy coat.
Pulse
Weak, slippery, or a little wiry.

What is in Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.

HerbAmountRoleJob in the formula
Dang Shen Dang Shen Root 9 g Chief Codonopsis restores the qi.
Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes 9 g Deputy Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen and dries damp.
Fu Ling Poria 9 g Deputy Poria drains damp.
Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution 6 g Envoy Honey-fried licorice harmonizes.
Chen Pi Dried Tangerine Peel 9 g Assistant Tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp.
Ban Xia Raw Pinellia Tuber High caution 9 g Assistant Processed pinellia transforms phlegm and stops nausea.
Mu Xiang Costus Root 6 g Assistant Costus moves stuck qi in the stomach and relieves pain.
Sha Ren Villous Amomum Fruit Use caution 3 g Assistant Amomum, added at the end of cooking, wakes the Spleen and stops bloating.
Sheng Jiang Fresh Ginger Use caution 3 g Envoy Fresh ginger warms the stomach and settles nausea.

How Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang works

Four tonics, two damp-clearers, and two aromatic movers. The costus and amomum are what make this the right choice when a plain tonic bloats you: they open the stomach so the tonic can get in and the gas can get out. It is the most forgiving Spleen tonic in the family.

Actions in classic terms

  • Tonifies the qi and strengthens the Spleen
  • Moves qi, transforms phlegm, and relieves bloating

Common changes to Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.

  • Stomach pain that likes warmth add Gan Jiang, Rou Gui Warming herbs for a cold middle.
  • Food sitting undigested add Shan Zha, Shen Qu Hawthorn and medicated leaven digest the backlog.
  • Stress that triggers the bloating add Xiang Fu, Bai Shao Or alternate with Xiao Yao San.

Cautions with Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

  • Drying and warming. Not for a dry picture with a red peeled tongue, or a hot one with a yellow coat.
  • Pause during a cold, flu, or fever.
  • Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.

Forms and typical dose

Sold as teapills, concentrated tablets, granules, decoction.

Teapills
8 pills, three times a day with warm water, the usual label dose
Decoction
One bag a day in two doses. Amomum goes in for the last five minutes.
Course
One to two months.

Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.

Buying Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

The box reads Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Wan or Xiang Sha Liu Jun Wan with the characters 香砂六君子. Eight herbs: the six gentlemen plus Aucklandia (costus) and Amomum.

Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.

Formulas often confused with Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

  • Liu Jun Zi Tang 六君子汤 The same without costus and amomum, for nausea and phlegm without bloating and pain.
  • Si Jun Zi Tang 四君子汤 The plain four-herb base.
  • Xiao Yao San 逍遥散 For bloating that follows stress in a tense person; moves the Liver rather than tonifying the Spleen.

Conditions where Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang comes up

Abdominal Distension Indigestion Dyspepsia Nausea Poor Appetite Gastric Ulcer Diarrhea

Sources

  • Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, and indications.

Important Note

Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.