Zhao Dong

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Zhao Dong, Male, Han, from Yibin, Sichuan, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-144). The tradition is documented in Yibin, Sichuan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship in Yibin, Sichuan: By aroma type, distilled liquor can further be divided into sauce-aroma, light-aroma, strong-aroma, rice-aroma, composite-aroma and other types. In ancient times distilled liquor was called "shaojiu" (burnt liquor) or "chunjiu" (mellow liquor); it evolved originally from low-alcohol rice wine, took shape around the Song dynasty, and has a history of more than eight hundred years. Yibin City lies in southern Sichuan Province, and local liquor-making has a long history, beginning roughly in the Song dynasty. Wuliangye ("five-grain liquor"), which is characterized by brewing from assorted grains, can be traced back to the Song-dynasty "Yaozi Xuequ". Around the Ming dynasty the Chen family opened the Wende Feng distillery in Yibin and personally served as the brewing master; after much experimentation they created the "Chen family secret formula". In the early years of the Republic of China, after Deng Zijun inherited the "Chen family secret formula" he adjusted the recipe several times, making its proportions more scientific and reasonable. In 1915 Wuliangye won a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in the United States and from then on was renowned throughout the world. In 2006 Wuliangye received the title of "China Time-honored Brand" in the first batch issued by the Ministry of Commerce.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Zhao Dong is anchored in the documented technical standards of Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship in Yibin, Sichuan. Within the documented technical tradition of Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship in Yibin, Sichuan: In the brewing of distilled liquor, starchy or sugary raw materials such as grains and tubers are first made into fermented mash (unfiltered liquor) or fermented into a cloudy fermented liquid (muddy liquor), which is then distilled into spirits. Distilled liquor is white or slightly yellow and transparent, and is therefore commonly called "baijiu" (white liquor). Its aroma is fragrant and pure, it is smooth, sweet and clean on the palate, and its alcohol content is relatively high, making it a strong liquor. Judged by the raw materials used and the saccharifying and fermenting agents, distilled-liquor brewing involves different techniques using daqu (large qu), xiaoqu (small qu) or fuqu (bran qu). Distilled liquor is made mainly from grain and can be divided into sorghum liquor, maize liquor and other types; sorghum, being high in starch and moderate in protein, is the most suitable for brewing distilled liquor. China's distilled liquor is produced mainly in Sichuan, Guizhou, Henan, Hebei, Shenyang, Jilin, Beijing and other regions, and the formation of its brewing methods is closely related to the local grains (abundant sorghum), climate (cold or humid), water quality and living customs. The Wuliangye brewing process originated in Yibin and has been developed and transmitted there ever since. The traditional Wuliangye brewing technique centers on the "Chen family secret formula", a rational blending of five grains — sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat and maize; the whole production process consists of more than one hundred process steps within three major technical flows: qu-making, base-liquor brewing and blending. The special and complex traditional Wuliangye brewing technique concentrates the essence of many folk brewing crafts; even today this traditional craft still has its irreplaceable value and is an important part of China's liquor culture. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival record of the process steps": The traditional Wuliangye brewing technique centers on the "Chen family secret formula", a rational blending of five grains — sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat and maize; the whole production process consists of more than one hundred process steps within three major technical flows: qu-making, base-liquor brewing and blending.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Zhao Dong was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship, with Yibin, Sichuan as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship in Yibin, Sichuan: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Yibin, Sichuan as its declared area, and Sichuan Yibin Wuliangye Group Co., Ltd. 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

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.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Zhaodong (Yibin, Sichuan) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Zhaodong · China ICH Official Archive