Hu Zhiming
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Hu Zhiming, Male, Han, from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Brewing Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-60). The tradition is documented in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Brewing Craftsmanship in Shaoxing, Zhejiang: Because of differences in breweries' locations and operating techniques, Shaoxing wine divides into the two great schools of the "eastern group" and the "western group". The tools used in brewing Shaoxing wine are mostly wood, bamboo and ceramic products, with a small number of tin products; they mainly include earthenware vats, wine jars, straw vat covers, rice sieves, steaming buckets, bottom buckets, bamboo mats, wooden rakes, large huajiao paddles, small huajiao paddles, wooden hooks, wooden shovels, wandou ladles, funnels, wooden presses, jianhu kettles and taihu rinsing pots. Shaoxing yellow wine's production area is mainly distributed over the Jianhu lake system region, including Yuecheng District of Shaoxing City, Shaoxing County and Dongguan Town of Shangyu City. Brewing uses glutinous rice as the raw material; finished liquor is produced through the steps of rice screening, rice soaking, rice steaming, spreading to cool, charging the starter (adding wheat starter, sprinkling the rice, and adding Jianhu lake water), main fermentation, opening and stirring the mash, vat post-fermentation, pressing, clarifying, blending, pasteurizing the wine, and vat aging (three years or more). As of 2004, there were more than eighty distilleries in the Shaoxing area, with a total yellow wine output of 264,000 tons, accounting for 14.7 percent of China's total yellow wine production. The Shaoxing yellow wine brewing technique — originating in the Spring and Autumn period, completed in the Northern Song, and flourishing in the Ming and Qing — is a unique skill transmitted and developed by the forebears of the Yue region.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Hu Zhiming is anchored in the documented technical standards of Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Brewing Craftsmanship in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Within the documented technical tradition of Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Brewing Craftsmanship in Shaoxing, Zhejiang: Shaoxing wine is an outstanding representative of Chinese yellow wine. Breweries located at Dongpu, Ruanshe, Hutang and other places west of Shaoxing city are called the "western group"; breweries east of the city at Doumen, Mashan, Sunduan, Gaobu, Taoyan and Dongguan are the "eastern group". Shaoxing wine generally makes its wine starter in the seventh lunar month, its wheat starter in the ninth lunar month, and its cooling-rice starter (rice wine mother) in the tenth lunar month. Formal brewing begins around the Heavy Snow solar term and ends at the Beginning of Spring of the following year, with a fermentation period of more than eighty days. The main varieties of Shaoxing wine are the four great types: Yuanhong red wine, Jiafan wine, Shanniang wine and Xiangxue wine. Shaoxing's brewing history is very long; written records can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The land here is fertile, the climate mild, the sunshine ample and the four seasons distinct, and there is the abundant, high-quality water of Jianhu Lake; brewing is truly favored by natural conditions. In recent years, because the Shaoxing yellow wine brewing cycle is long, the requirements for brewing water and other raw materials are high, and the technique is complex and requires experience, expanding reproduction has faced many difficulties. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The louzuo mixing step": At louzuo the wheat cake, the cooled rice and Jian Lake water are combined in a fixed proportion, with wooden, bamboo and ceramic tools. "Breaking the crust with the rake": Opening the crust with rakes during main fermentation is the decisive operation; the large and small rakes push the mash to the wall and release it again. "Sealed jar ageing": After main fermentation the wine is sealed in jars under straw covers for more than eighty days, until the beginning of spring. "Pressing, clarifying and boiling": A wooden press draws the last of the wine, which is then clarified, blended and boiled in clay pots to set its colour.
The louzuo mixing step
At louzuo the wheat cake, the cooled rice and Jian Lake water are combined in a fixed proportion, with wooden, bamboo and ceramic tools.
Breaking the crust with the rake
Opening the crust with rakes during main fermentation is the decisive operation; the large and small rakes push the mash to the wall and release it again.
Sealed jar ageing
After main fermentation the wine is sealed in jars under straw covers for more than eighty days, until the beginning of spring.
Pressing, clarifying and boiling
A wooden press draws the last of the wine, which is then clarified, blended and boiled in clay pots to set its colour.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Hu Zhiming was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Brewing Craftsmanship, with Shaoxing, Zhejiang as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Brewing Craftsmanship in Shaoxing, Zhejiang: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Shaoxing, Zhejiang as its declared area, and Shaoxing Huang JiuHangYe Association as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Brewing uses glutinous rice as the raw material; finished liquor is produced through the steps of rice screening, rice soaking, rice steaming, spreading to cool, charging the starter (adding wheat starter, sprinkling the rice, and adding Jianhu lake water), main fermentation, opening and stirring the mash, vat post-fermentation, pressing, clarifying, blending, pasteurizing the wine, and vat aging (three years or more). As of 2004, there were more than eighty distilleries in the Shaoxing area, with a total yellow wine output of 264,000 tons, accounting for 14.7 percent of China's total yellow wine production.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wang Aniu | Shaoxing, Zhejiang | 01-0176 | Same declared area |
| Hu Zhiming | Shaoxing, Zhejiang | — | This page |
| Pan Xingxiang | Shaoxing, Zhejiang | — | Same declared area |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。