[3] It handles an extraction process which involves inserting a catheter into the bear's fistulas abdomen wounded gall bladder.
[4] According to company investor Zhang Zhiyun, Guizhentang is in the business of selling one of the "Four great Chinese medicine" which consist of bear bile, tiger bones, musk and rhinoceros horns.
An attempt was made by Jia Baolan, a member of the Communist party CPPCC, to ban extracting biles from living bears under a proposal.
[6] A Shandong University professor even published a paper on the cruelty of the bear bile practice and how it destroys the reputation of Traditional Chinese medicine.
[3][8] The company was met with protest and a great deal of challenge from China SOS, a non-government animal rights organizations.
[9] Guizhentang made a public list of journalists allowed into the invitation without prior consultations.
[7] According to Animals Asia Foundation the process involves inserting a catheter into the bear and cause serious suffering.
[16] Xin Yan, a doctor affiliated with Guang'anmen hospital, China's leading institution in the practice of TCM, said that heparin is also extracted from intestines of pigs and ox's lungs, and the manufacturers are listed on the stock exchange.
[9] Phoenix Television have pointed out a quote from Karl Marx where he said for a profit margin of 300% in a capitalist system, one will commit any crime.
On Feb 23, 2012 a Sina Weibo entry appeared with Guizhentang with Google China founder Kai-fu Lee, SOHO China chairman Pan Shiyi and real estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang asking the animal rights group Asia Animals Foundation to disclose their finances.
Lee made it clear he did not ask the animal rights group to disclose their finances,[18] while Pan Shiyi has said it was a made-up rumor.
[20] There have also been many doctors making their case against the practice claiming there are legitimate substitutes, that actual bile from bears are not needed.
[20] On 26 February 2012, China Central Television journalist Chai Jing interviewed Qiu Shuhua in the investigation programme The Insight.
[2] The journalist points out the far tighter animal rights laws today compared to 30 years ago, Qiu said there is not much to be said about that.
[2] She did cry in the show, and regret ever having trying to go public to the stock market as it led to a lot of trouble from activists.
Animal rights group AAF representative Zhang Xiaohai made it clear it is not Qiu Shuhua that we hate, but the entire bear bile farming industry.