Updated: 2026-08-31
Hong Kong Customs prints the conversion plainly: 1 tael (兩) = 1/16 catty (斤); 1 mace (錢) = 1/160 catty. So "$280 per catty" and "$280 per mace" differ by a factor of 160. In a Customs case published by the Consumer Council on 18 August 2026, a visitor believed half a catty would cost about $140; staff ground the herbs to powder before saying the unit was 錢, and asked for $22,400 — in the Council's words, "the total was 160 times what the complainant had expected". ⚠️ The step that matters is before the grinding: both Customs and the Council state that you should not let anyone slice or grind the herbs before the total is confirmed. And one thing easily missed: Hong Kong law requires a receipt with specified contents for gold, platinum, natural jade, diamonds and five categories of electronic product, but there is no equivalent statutory receipt requirement for Chinese herbs — so you have to ask. For proprietary Chinese medicines, read the number: HKC- or HKP- is a registered proprietary Chinese medicine, HK- is a registered pharmaceutical product; three prefixes, two registration regimes. This article covers pricing units, receipts and complaint channels. It says nothing about any herb's effects and offers no medical advice.
What system are 斤, 両 and 錢?
They are the "Si Ma" (司馬) system, different from the Mainland's "market" system — and Hong Kong Customs is the department that enforces the Weights and Measures Ordinance.
On its weights and measures page, Hong Kong Customs explains that the Weights and Measures Ordinance (Cap. 68) "provides a legal framework for buyers and sellers, protecting consumers from fraud or unfair treatment as to the quantity of goods in a transaction". The same page prints the Chinese-system conversions:
| Unit | Conversion as Customs prints it |
|---|---|
| 1 picul (担) | = 100 catties (斤) |
| 1 catty (斤) | = 0.61 kg (approximately) |
| 1 tael (兩) | = 1/16 catty |
| 1 mace (錢) | = 1/160 catty |
| 1 candareen (分) | = 1/1600 catty |
In one line: the same "$280" on a price tag means totals 160 times apart depending on whether it says 斤 or 錢. Customs' own list of common complaint types includes exactly this: "complaints about undesirable trade practices generally involve misleading pricing, confusion of catties and taels, and composition or function not matching what is claimed." ⚠️ Customs publishes no number or proportion for such cases, and this article makes no claim about whether they are common or rare.
Who most needs to know this: anyone used to buying by the kilo or the pound — the 錢 commonly used in a herbal dispensary is what you get when you divide a catty into 160 equal parts and take 1 — easily missed. ⚠️ And 錢 is not the smallest unit either: the Chinese Medicine Council's Practising Guidelines for Proprietary Chinese Medicine Manufacturers states that the local retail market "also commonly uses catty, tael, mace and candareen in the Si Ma system", and lists "1 candareen = 1/1600 catty = 377.994 mg".
Visitors from the Mainland, note: a 市斤 is not a 斤
The same character 斤 means different weights in the Mainland and in Hong Kong.
Customs prints a comparison table on the same page:
| Mainland China | Hong Kong SAR | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kilogram | = 2 市斤 | 1.65 catties |
| 1 catty (斤) | = 12.10 市兩 | 16 taels |
| 1 市斤 | = 10 市兩 | 13.23 taels |
The 兩 differs in both systems too: a Mainland 市斤 holds 10 市兩, a Hong Kong 斤 holds 16 兩. So "one catty" heard in Hong Kong cannot be assumed to be the catty you know from home.
Two real cases: $140 became $22,400, and $300 became $30,400
What the two have in common is not the price but that the unit went unstated until the goods were already in the grinder.
Case one: Customs arrest and a court conviction (published by the Consumer Council, 18 August 2026)
The Council's account: a visitor selecting a proprietary Chinese medicine at a dispensary was recommended a herb by staff. "the complainant saw "$280" on the price tag but could not make out the pricing unit because the rest was in small type, and asked staff whether the price was per catty, receiving no direct answer. Believing it was per catty, they estimated about $140 for half a catty and agreed to buy. After weighing, staff did not state the unit or the total and passed the herbs to another member of staff to grind. Only after the herbs had been ground to powder did staff ask for $22,400."
Staff then explained the unit was 錢, and the Council wrote that "the total was 160 times what the complainant had expected". ⚠️ Note: the $140 was the complainant's own estimate, not a quoted price.
The outcome: the herbs having been ground, the complainant eventually "bought nearly half the herbs for $11,000 after negotiation".
The enforcement part (the Council's account of Customs): After investigation, Customs found that staff had deliberately concealed, or provided at an inopportune time, material information including the pricing unit and the total price — the practices colloquially known as “catty becomes tael” and “tael becomes mace”. Customs arrested 2 members of staff and, after seeking the Department of Justice's advice, prosecuted 1 of them — the one who had made the sale — for a commercial practice constituting a misleading omission under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. After trial the staff member was convicted, sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to compensate the complainant $11,000. (Paraphrased from the Council's Chinese-language account.)
Case two: tael to mace (published by the Consumer Council, 15 September 2025)
A family visiting from Singapore were offered a "buy 80 get 5 free" deal on a herb. The Council's account: "staff did not mention the pricing unit during the sale; the scale showed 0.85, and the complainant, believing the price was $380 per tael, estimated the transaction at about $300 and agreed to buy. Without clearly stating the unit or the total, staff ground the herbs to powder and then asked for $30,400."
Staff later explained the unit was 錢, at $380 per mace, with 5 mace free on 80.
⚠️ The facts here are disputed and the Council recorded both sides: the shop replied that "the price tag did state the unit as 錢", but "neither the shop nor the complainant could produce a photograph of the tag". The shop first offered to refund 7 tenths of the sum, $21,280, without return of the goods, which the complainant refused; after extended mediation by the Council, a full refund and return was agreed.
One further detail from the same case is worth remembering: "staff at first refused to provide a receipt, relenting only when the complainant insisted."
Who most needs to know this: anyone who assumes that with a purchase this large the total will obviously be settled after weighing — in both cases the goods went into the grinder after weighing and before any price was stated.
Does the law require a herbal dispensary to give a receipt?
Not necessarily. The goods for which Hong Kong law expressly requires a receipt with specified contents are gold, platinum, natural jade, diamonds and five categories of electronic product — Chinese herbs are not on that list.
Hong Kong Customs' "Trade Descriptions" page sets out the statutory receipt requirements under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) — four categories of goods plus one category of product:
| Goods | Retailer's statutory duty |
|---|---|
| Natural jade | issue an invoice or receipt on supply, and keep a copy for not less than three years |
| Diamonds | as above; state total weight in carats, or that the total weight is unknown |
| Gold and gold alloy | as above; state fineness mark and weight |
| Platinum | as above; state fineness mark and weight |
| Five categories of regulated electronic product (Cap. 362O) | as above; state brand, model, after-sales service details, place of origin |
| Chinese herbs / dried seafood and tonic products | the same page gives consumer advice only, with no equivalent statutory receipt requirement |
The difference is practical: buy gold and you get a receipt stating fineness and weight without asking; buy herbs and, if you do not ask, you may get nothing. So all the Consumer Council could do on 18 August 2026 was "recommend" that the trade "issue, on completing a transaction, a formal receipt stating the name of the goods, the quantity, the date and the amount", while advising consumers to "ask the trader for a formal invoice or receipt showing the name of the goods, the quantity, the pricing unit and the total".
⚠️ Note the extra item in the Council's version: the pricing unit. Quantity and amount on a receipt are not enough; the unit is what was in dispute in both cases above.
And if the receipt is wrong? Another case published by the Council on 15 September 2025: a Mainland visitor bought a box of 6 bottles of a medicinal liquid, but the receipt printed "1 box of 12 bottles, $170". The shop said its till system had erred and that the 6-bottle box was indeed $170; after mediation, half the price was refunded. ⚠️ The complainant themselves found the same 6-bottle product at other shops "generally $40 to $50" — that is the complainant's own price check, not a Council price survey.
Say stop before the herbs are ground
Customs and the Consumer Council both write the same thing, and both place it before payment.
Hong Kong Customs' advice to consumers buying dried seafood and tonic products:
"ask in detail about the price before buying, particularly how it is calculated from the unit of measure; note the price and unit on the price tag; unless necessary, tell staff before buying not to slice or grind the herbs; understand the calculation clearly before paying; if paying by credit card, check the amount before signing, and never sign a slip on which the amount has not been filled in; check the transaction details on the receipt and keep the receipt and the goods."
The Council's wording on 18 August 2026: "before the final amount is fully confirmed and the purchase agreed, do not let the trader slice, grind or otherwise process the herbs, to avoid disputes."
Why does this step matter so much? Because in both cases above the price came after the grinding — and once processed, herbs are very hard to return. In the first case the complainant ended up buying nearly half of them for $11,000 after negotiation.
Customs also has a passage on short weight: "short-weighting generally involves inaccurate measuring equipment, or simply overstating the weight", advising you to "check that the indicator or display reads "0" before weighing" and to "use a public weighing machine to check", noting that "markets managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department generally have public weighing machines for public use."
Proprietary Chinese medicines: how do HKC-, HKP- and HK- differ?
Three prefixes, two registration regimes — not the same thing. HKC- and HKP- are both proprietary Chinese medicine registration numbers issued by the Chinese Medicine Council's Chinese Medicines Board (HKP- being a transitional registration convertible to HKC-); HK- is a registered pharmaceutical product number from the Department of Health's Drug Office, a separate regime.
| Number format | What it means | Who regulates |
|---|---|---|
| HKC-XXXXX | a proprietary Chinese medicine holding a certificate of registration | Chinese Medicines Board, Chinese Medicine Council |
| HKP-XXXXX | transitional registration number for a proprietary Chinese medicine | Chinese Medicines Board, Chinese Medicine Council |
| HK-XXXXX | registered pharmaceutical product | Department of Health Drug Office |
The legal basis: the Chinese Medicine Council's page states that under the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549) a product meeting the definition of a proprietary Chinese medicine must be registered with the Chinese Medicines Board — "after section 119 of the Ordinance came into operation, all proprietary Chinese medicines must be registered with the Board before they may be imported, manufactured locally or sold."
⚠️ But note that there are proprietary Chinese medicines exempt from registration. The first chapter of the Board's Application Handbook for Registration of Proprietary Chinese Medicines lists several exemptions; two of the listed exemptions concern patient-specific preparations — a proprietary Chinese medicine compounded by a registered or listed Chinese medicine practitioner at their practice premises or under their supervision, for a patient under their direct care (section 158(6)(a)); and a proprietary Chinese medicine compounded or made up for one patient at premises covered by a valid retailer licence, on the prescription of a registered or listed Chinese medicine practitioner (section 158(6)(b)). In other words: a boxed proprietary medicine bought off the shelf should carry a registration number, but medicine compounded for you on a practitioner's prescription after a consultation is a different case.
How do HKC- and HKP- differ? The same page explains: a proprietary Chinese medicine already being manufactured or sold in Hong Kong on 1 March 1999 could apply for transitional registration during a designated period (19 December 2003 to 30 June 2004); a holder of the resulting notice "is treated under the Ordinance as having obtained non-transitional, that is formal, registration", and must show HKP-XXXXX on the outer packaging label; a newly approved application receives a certificate of registration with HKC-XXXXX.
The Consumer Council also mentioned registration numbers on 15 September 2025: 「所有香港的註冊中成藥產品標籤上均附有註冊編號,格式為『HKC-XXXXX』(「XXXXX」為一組五位數字),如欲選購中成藥應注意產品的包裝上是否印有上述註冊編號。」 ⚠️ Note that this sentence gives HKC- only. The Board's Chinese Medicines Newsletter of June 2025 says: "every registered proprietary Chinese medicine must carry a Hong Kong registration number on its product label, in the format HKC-XXXXX or HKP-XXXXX." This article follows the Board's wording: learn to read both formats.
As for "one character different from the brand you wanted": the Council recorded a case on 15 September 2025 — a Mainland visitor bought 3 boxes of a pill preparation for about $2,640 and, back home, found the packaging and appearance closely resembled the brand they had wanted, "but the manufacturer's name differed by one character". ⚠️ The Council described this as "suspected counterfeit or passing-off goods", and the shop "did not respond as to whether the product passed itself off as another brand"; a full refund was arranged. This article makes no finding on the product's authenticity and names no brand or trader.
The Council mentions one more marking to look for: "look for a "No Fakes Pledge" label at the shop entrance or till; the label is valid for one year, so note the year shown".
Who is actually dispensing for you? Check the shop's licence first
⚠️ First, a distinction: the person behind the counter dispensing for you is not necessarily a Chinese medicine practitioner. The Board's Practising Guidelines for Retailers of Chinese Herbal Medicines (fifth revision, October 2025) distinguishes three roles: the responsible person (nominated in the retailer licence application to supervise dispensing, or their deputy), the dispenser (who dispenses and supplies herbal medicine on a practitioner's prescription), and the salesperson. Dispensing must take place under the responsible person's supervision, and the retailer must display the retailer licence for Chinese herbal medicines conspicuously.
So in that first minute at the door, look for the shop's retailer licence; whether someone is a "registered" or "listed" Chinese medicine practitioner is about the person who consults and prescribes for you.
The two practitioner statuses display different documents — the Chinese Medicine Council's register pages state:
- A registered Chinese medicine practitioner "may use the listed titles, and must display the practising certificate conspicuously at the practice premises or clinic so the public can identify them."
- A listed Chinese medicine practitioner "may use the listed titles, and must post the listed practitioner notice in the clinic."
The register is a statutory publication: "published under section 53 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, in two parts: Part A for practitioners registered under section 69, Part B for those with limited registration under section 85."
What if you have doubts? A Department of Health press release of 18 July 2025 on heat-sensitive moxibustion carries a reminder of wider application: "if in doubt about a Chinese medicine practitioner's qualifications, members of the public may ask them to produce the relevant documents; the registers of registered and listed practitioners are on the Council's website for public inspection."
The Consumer Council also puts it directly, on 15 September 2025: "when buying Chinese medicine, consult a registered Chinese medicine practitioner and have it dispensed on their prescription; do not rely on a "diagnosis" from an unregistered person."
Who most needs to know this: anyone who lets shop staff "take a look" and then dispenses on the spot — the staff member is not necessarily a practitioner and may be a salesperson or a dispenser; the shop should display its retailer licence, and a practitioner's certificate or listed-practitioner notice should be conspicuously displayed. If you cannot see them, you can ask.
Where do you complain?
Two tracks, different in nature: the Consumer Council mediates, Customs enforces.
| Body | What it does | Contact (per its own page) |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Council | handles complaints as a mediator | telephone complaints 2929 2222; Age-friendly hotline 2110 2288 Monday to Friday 09:00–17:30 |
| Customs and Excise (trade descriptions) | enforcement; misleading omissions, false trade descriptions | 24-hour reporting hotline 2545 6182 |
| Customs and Excise (general enquiries) | weights and measures, trade descriptions enquiries | 24-hour general enquiry hotline 2815 7711 |
⚠️ Both numbers are Customs reporting channels. Customs' "Report Crime" page lists them together: 「舉報熱線 (852) 182 8080 / (852) 2545 6182」. The Council's press release of 18 August 2026 says to call Customs' 24-hour hotline on 182 8080; Customs' "Trade Descriptions" page prints 2545 6182. The two sit side by side and do not contradict each other. Customs also runs a 24-hour general enquiry hotline on 2815 7711 for weights and measures and trade descriptions enquiries.
How heavy are the penalties? From Customs' page: a person convicted under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance is liable "on conviction on indictment, to a maximum fine of $500,000 and five years' imprisonment; on summary conviction, to a maximum fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment."
Will you be told the outcome of a report? The same page states: 「根據《商品說明條例》第 17(2) 條,本署不能披露於調查個案時所獲得的資料,包括結案的考慮因素。」 (the Department cannot disclose information obtained in investigating a case, including the considerations behind closing it)
Already back in the Mainland, Macao or overseas when you discovered the problem? The Council has a cross-boundary mechanism: "the Council has agreements with consumer protection bodies in the Mainland, Macao and the Asian countries listed; a consumer from one place in dispute with a trader in the other may complain to their local body after returning home, and the complaint will be referred to the trader concerned." The complainants in the cases above came from the Mainland, Macao and Singapore — this route exists for exactly them.
How many complaints are there? In the Council's 2025 figures published on 23 February 2026, out of 35,969 locally related complaints after excluding Mainland consumers' complaints about the three large Mainland online platforms, the category "medicines and Chinese medicines" accounted for 1,138 (1,034 in 2024, up 10%), involving a total of $6,520,753. ⚠️ That is the annual figure for that complaint category, against a denominator of 35,969 — not the 38,187 total for the year.
Ask about these
Three moments — before weighing, before grinding, before paying — and six questions:
- Is the price per catty, per tael or per mace? Saying it once is not enough; ask the staff member to point at the price tag and say it.
- Before weighing, does the scale read "0"? Is anything else on the pan? (Customs' reminder.)
- After weighing, what is the total? Do not wait until the grinding is done to ask.
- Do not let anyone slice or grind before the price is settled. (Both Customs and the Council say this.)
- Does the receipt state the name of the goods, the quantity, the pricing unit and the total? The Council's version includes the pricing unit — and since the law does not require a herbal dispensary to issue a receipt at all, you have to ask for it.
- On a boxed proprietary Chinese medicine, is there an HKC- or HKP- number? (HK- is a registered pharmaceutical product, a separate regime; and medicine compounded for you personally on a practitioner's prescription falls within the registration exemptions.)
If paying by credit card, Customs adds one more: "never sign a slip on which the amount has not been filled in."
Frequently asked questions
- How many 錢 are in a 斤? Hong Kong Customs' conversion table prints 1 mace = 1/160 catty and 1 tael = 1/16 catty. So a catty holds 160 mace and 16 taels.
- Is a Mainland 斤 the same as a Hong Kong 斤? No. Customs prints: 1 kilogram = 2 市斤 in the Mainland, equal to 1.65 catties in Hong Kong; 1 catty = 12.10 市兩 = 16 taels; 1 市斤 = 13.23 taels.
- Is a herbal dispensary legally required to give a receipt? There is no equivalent statutory requirement. Customs' "Trade Descriptions" page lists the goods carrying a statutory receipt requirement as natural jade, diamonds, gold and gold alloy, platinum, and five categories of regulated electronic product; Chinese herbs and dried seafood and tonic products appear on the same page with consumer advice only. The Consumer Council recommends that the trade issue, on its own initiative, a formal receipt stating name, quantity, date and amount.
- The herbs are already ground — is there anything to be done? In the cases the Council recorded, after grinding one complainant eventually bought nearly half the herbs for $11,000 after negotiation; in another, staff ground the herbs and then asked for $30,400, and a full refund and return followed only after extended mediation. Both show how much harder matters become after processing — which is why both Customs and the Council place their warning before it.
- Is "catty becomes mace" against the law? In the Customs case the Council published on 18 August 2026, Customs prosecuted 1 member of staff for a commercial practice constituting a misleading omission under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance; the staff member was convicted, sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay $11,000 compensation. On penalties, Customs' page states a maximum fine of $500,000 and five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment.
- How do HKC-, HKP- and HK- differ? HKC- is the number on a certificate of registration for a proprietary Chinese medicine; HKP- is a transitional registration number (convertible to HKC-); both belong to the Chinese Medicines Board's registration regime for proprietary Chinese medicines. HK- is the Department of Health Drug Office's number for a registered pharmaceutical product, a separate regime. Three numbers, two regimes.
- What is the difference between a "registered" and a "listed" Chinese medicine practitioner? A registered practitioner must display their practising certificate conspicuously at the practice premises or clinic; a listed practitioner must post the listed practitioner notice in the clinic. The titles they may use also differ, and the registers are on the Chinese Medicine Council's website.
- I only found the problem after returning to the Mainland or Macao — can I still complain? The Consumer Council has cooperation agreements with consumer protection bodies in the Mainland, Macao and several Asian jurisdictions; a consumer may complain to their local body after returning home, and it will be referred to the trader concerned.
Also in this series:
- What a Chinese medicine consultation costs, and registered versus listed: “How should Chinese Medicine Hospital charges be read? A full breakdown of two charging tracks, renamed clinics in eighteen districts, and the real difference between $120 and $180, 2026”
- Which supplements have evidence, and their legal status: “Which supplements have evidence? Their legal status in Hong Kong, the Department of Health's own list, and what the large trials found”
What this article does not claim
- It makes no claim about whether practices such as "catty becomes mace" are common or rare in the market. Customs lists only the types of complaint generally involved, publishing no number or proportion.
- It does not list every exemption from proprietary Chinese medicine registration. The Board's application handbook lists several; this article cites two patient-specific exemptions; the legal text governs.
- It does not quote the text of the Weights and Measures Ordinance (Cap. 68). Hong Kong e-Legislation's page for the Ordinance displayed only a loading placeholder on 30 August 2026. For the catty, tael and mace conversions, the article cites the page of the department that enforces it, Hong Kong Customs.
- It does not cite the body text of CHOICE issue 598. That article's body did not display when opened on 30 August 2026; all case details are taken from the Council's press releases of the same period.
- It cites no number of registered or listed Chinese medicine practitioners. The Chinese Medicine Council's register and search pages printed no total or as-at date on 30 August 2026, so no figure is cited, nor any figure circulating informally.
- It cites no complaint growth figures from media reports. It uses only the Council's own 2025 figures (medicines and Chinese medicines, 1,138 complaints; 1,034 in 2024), with the denominator stated. Year-on-year percentages from other sources have no first-hand provenance and are not used.
- It makes no finding on any product's authenticity, and names no brand, trader or dispensary. The Council's own cases refer to traders as A, B, C and D, and this article follows suit.
- It does not rank the two Customs reporting hotlines. Customs' "Report Crime" page lists 182 8080 and 2545 6182 together as reporting hotlines, and the article records that.
- It compares no herb prices for reasonableness. In one case the "$40 to $50 generally" for the same 6-bottle product was the complainant's own check at other shops, not a Council price survey, and the article says so.
- It says nothing about any herb's or proprietary medicine's effects, indications or use. It deals only with pricing units, receipts, registration numbers and complaint channels, and offers no medical advice; questions about medication should go to a registered Chinese medicine practitioner or a doctor.
- The Department of Health press release of 18 July 2025 is cited in its own context. That release concerns heat-sensitive moxibustion, and the sentence quoted about checking a practitioner's qualifications is attributed to it.
Provenance: compiled from statutory body publications, enforcement department pages and registration regime materials; every figure is marked with its source and the date the page itself prints.
Quotations from Chinese-language official documents and press materials appear in our own English translation; the original wording governs.
資料來源 (Sources)
- Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, "Weights and Measures" (consumer protection) (page carries no date of its own): https://www.customs.gov.hk/tc/service-enforcement-information/consumer-protection/weights-measures/index.html (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, "Trade Descriptions" (consumer protection) (page carries no date of its own): https://www.customs.gov.hk/tc/service-enforcement-information/consumer-protection/trade-desc/index.html (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, "Contact Us" (consumer protection) (page prints a revision date of 20 May 2022): https://www.customs.gov.hk/tc/service-enforcement-information/consumer-protection/contact-us/index.html (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Consumer Council press release, CHOICE issue 598, complaints about medicines, herbs and health products, 18 August 2026: https://www.consumer.org.hk/tc/press-release/p-598-drug-medicine-supplement-complaints (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Consumer Council press release, CHOICE issue 587, complaints about pharmacies and drugstores, 15 September 2025: https://www.consumer.org.hk/tc/press-release/p-587-pharmacy-drugstore-complaints (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Consumer Council press release, 2025 annual complaint figures, 23 February 2026: https://www.consumer.org.hk/tc/press-release/p-2025-year-ender (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Consumer Council, "Complaint and enquiry channels" (page carries no date of its own): https://www.consumer.org.hk/tc/complaints-and-services/complaint-and-enquiry-channels (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Chinese Medicines Board, Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, Practising Guidelines for Proprietary Chinese Medicine Manufacturers (document prints "October 2025"; revision history: made April 2003, fourth revision October 2025; Appendix 2 weight conversion table): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/pcm/pdf/guide_manu_c.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-31)
- Chinese Medicines Board, Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, Application Handbook for Registration of Proprietary Chinese Medicines (section on proprietary Chinese medicines exempt from registration): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/pcm/pdf/reg_handbook_bfver_c.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-31)
- Chinese Medicines Board, Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, Practising Guidelines for Retailers of Chinese Herbal Medicines (document prints: made April 2003, fifth revision October 2025): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/pcm/pdf/guide_retail_bfver_c.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-31)
- Chinese Medicines Board, Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, Chinese Medicines Newsletter, June 2025: https://www.cmchk.org.hk/pcm/pdf/pcm_newsletter2506bw.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-31)
- Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, "Report Crime" (page carries no date of its own): https://www.customs.gov.hk/tc/contact-us/report-information/index.html (retrieved 2026-08-31)
- Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, registers of registered and listed Chinese medicine practitioners (pages carry no date of their own): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/main_rdoctor_choice.htm, https://www.cmchk.org.hk/cmp/chi/main_ldoctor_choice.htm (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, "List of proprietary Chinese medicines" (page prints no update date): https://www.cmchk.org.hk/pcm/chi/main_listpcm_2023.htm (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Department of Health Drug Office, "Search Hong Kong registered pharmaceutical products" (page carries no date of its own): https://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/tc/consumer/search_drug_database.html (retrieved 2026-08-30)
- Government press release, "DH reminds public that heat-sensitive moxibustion should be performed by qualified Chinese medicine practitioners", 18 July 2025: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202507/18/P2025071800337.htm (retrieved 2026-08-30)
Compiled by the editorial team from statutory body publications and government department pages; every figure is attributed to its source. This is consumer information, not medical advice and not legal advice.
