Chen Guanchang

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Chen Guanchang, Male, Han, from Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-145). The tradition is documented in Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian. Within the regional tradition and school record of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian: The Pingnan red qu yellow rice wine brewing technique is closely related to the production, daily life, and folk beliefs of the people, is an important carrier of local culture and local knowledge, and holds high historical and cultural value. The brewing of Hongqu (red qu) yellow rice wine in Pingnan has been practiced among the people for a thousand years. The Jiufeng Temple (the site where Huizelong ascended to immortality), the three-pool donation stele at Zifu Temple, ancient qu yards, and old wine cellars are scattered throughout the county — all relics directly related to this craft. Transmission also mostly takes place by family: the Qiu, Zheng, and Wei clans of Yuyang, the Chen clan of Longtan, the Wu clan of Beiqian, and the Huang clan of Dashanxi all continue to pass down the red qu and yellow rice wine. An even earlier origin lies in folk legend: someone mixed moldy fava bean paste with chili and found the taste exceptionally fine, and from then on it was unstoppable. The people of Pingnan treat both the red qu and the yellow rice wine not only as food and drink but also as medical adjuvants and medicinal materials; here, the liquor qu and the medicinal formula were originally one and the same.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Chen Guanchang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian. Within the documented technical tradition of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian: Pingnan County is located in the northeast of Fujian Province, within a mid-subtropical maritime monsoon climate, with relatively high average elevation and forest coverage. Its abundant natural spring water and thick red and yellow soils have provided high-quality raw materials and a natural environment for the development of the Hongqu yellow rice wine brewing technique. Yellow rice wine is the oldest type of liquor in China, worthy of being called the ancestor of all liquors. The red qu yellow rice wine uses clear spring water drawn at the chen hour (7–9 a.m.) with distinct Pingnan regional characteristics, high-mountain glutinous rice, and handmade red qu as raw materials. Using family brewing techniques, it is carefully crafted through nine ancient steps: drawing water at the chen hour, soaking and washing the rice, steaming the rice and cooling it, adding the qu-rice mixture to the jar, raking to start fermentation, pressing to extract the wine, tasting the new wine, smoking it with rice husks, and sealing it in the wine cellar. Among these, steaming the rice and cooling it requires steaming with pine firewood and controlling the cooling time; raking to start fermentation requires strict control of the raking-fermentation temperature; and smoking with rice husks centers on mastering the heat. Because of the Maillard reaction that occurs after sealing, the new red qu yellow rice wine is red, while the aged wine is yellow or amber, with a mellow and long-lasting taste. The new wine has a slight pungency, while the aged wine is fragrant. Both the red qu and the yellow rice wine made from it are food and drink as well as important medical adjuvants or medicinal materials in local people's lives, and are deeply loved. The Pingnan red qu yellow rice wine brewing technique has lasted a thousand years. Pingnan has relics related to red qu yellow rice wine brewing, such as the Jiufeng Temple (the site where Huizelong ascended to immortality), the three-pool donation stele at Zifu Temple, ancient qu yards, and old wine cellars. At the same time, red qu yellow rice wine has always been an important agricultural byproduct of Fujian and plays a positive role in promoting rural revitalization. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Drawing water at the chen hour": Water is drawn at the chen hour and the rice soaked and washed in the same stretch of the morning. "Steaming over a pine fire and cooling": The rice is steamed over a pine fire, then cooled for a controlled time so its moisture suits the red qu. "Opening and raking the ferment": After the qu and rice enter the jar the ferment is raked open, with temperature held firmly because red qu ferments fast. "Smoking the wine over rice husk": The pressed wine is smoked over rice husk, with sound, smoke and scent used together to judge the fire.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Chen Guanchang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship, with Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian as its declared area, and Fujian Huizelongjiuye 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. Chenguanchang (Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Chenguanchang · China ICH Official Archive