Editor's note: An increasing number of Chinese companies are emerging on the world stage as they strive to establish their brands outside the country. This report, the sixth in the series, is by Wang Wen.

Though some traditional Chinese brands have found it difficult to establish a presence in the highly competitive consumer market, China Beijing Tong Ren Tang Group Co Ltd has not only found a solution, but also managed to carve a niche for itself in the global market.

Tong Ren Tang, a world-famous Chinese drugstore, was established in 1669 by Yue Xianyang, an imperial physician, who worked exclusively for the royal family in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Little did Yue realize that the pharmacy he started would one day have spread all over the world.