We sell Chinese herbs. 100% we bought from China. 

My husband started this business, it’s been open for about 40 years. He started to learn this trade when he was about 13. He worked and learned, and when he was 30 years old he opened his own shop. That was at 63, Jalan Bunga Raya, he rented it. This shop, at 58 Jalan Bunga Raya, is our own. My husband worked alone in the old shop. After we got married we worked together in this shop here. 

This building has 3 floors. Actually it had only 2 floors then we built on the 3rd floor. 

Usually you learn while you work, like my husband did. And now we learn from him. The second generation learn from him, and my eldest son went to China to study this trade. He also learned to be a sensei [a doctor who practises traditional Chinese medicine]. I have two boys and two girls, the boys are going to take over this business. The girls got married, and they follow their husbands. 

My customers are all types, Malay, Chinese, Indian, and we have special customers who come all the way from Indonesia. They go to the specialists here [in Melaka] then come here to get the herbs. 

The most expensive herbs we sell are bird’s nest, and ginseng from America. 1 kati of ginseng is RM10,000. And cordyceps costs RM8,000 for one tahil. The best bird’s nest comes from the caves, the natural caves. However nowadays people rear the bird’s nest in the house. Like they say, it’s planted, not a natural one.