Li Zhongsheng
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Li Zhongsheng, Male, Han, from Baodingshixushui, Hebei, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-145). The tradition is documented in Baodingshixushui, Hebei. Within the regional tradition and school record of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Baodingshixushui, Hebei: During the Western Jin period, Liu Ling — a native of Suixian (in present-day Anhui) and one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove — visited his friend Zhang Hua, who was garrisoned at what is now Xushui. After drinking the local fine liquor heartily, he wrote the timeless masterpiece "Ode to the Virtue of Wine" with a flourish of his brush, then fell into a deep drunken slumber. The Liu Ling Zui liquor brewing technique originated at Xushui, the earliest liquor-brewing site in China. Through a millennium of inheritance and development, it ultimately formed a complete set of brewing techniques — continuous-mash charging, long-term solid-state low-temperature fermentation, gentle-fire mixed steaming in steamer buckets, graded quality-based liquor picking, graded long-term storage, and careful blending — which have been widely applied in the brewing industry.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Li Zhongsheng is anchored in the documented technical standards of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Baodingshixushui, Hebei. Within the documented technical tradition of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Baodingshixushui, Hebei: The Liu Ling Zui liquor brewing technique is a complete traditional Chinese distilled-liquor brewing technique, historically known as the "Thousand-Day Liquor" brewing technique. Baoding City is located in the central North China Plain and is praised as a "passage to twelve provinces" and a "thoroughfare to nine provinces," with highly developed transportation. Here the four seasons are distinct, the interannual variation in wind speed is small, the climate is pleasant, the land is fertile, and the groundwater resources are abundant with clear, soft, and sweet water — providing superior climatic conditions and water resources for the formation of the Liu Ling Zui liquor brewing technique. The liquor is made from carefully selected multiple grains such as sorghum, barley, and wheat, through steps including fermentation, pit opening, steamer loading, liquor picking, pit nurturing, aging and storage, and blending. After 120 days of low-temperature sealed solid-state fermentation, aging distillation, and aging storage in specially-made underground "wine seas" (jiuhai), Liu Ling Zui liquor not only exhibits the typical style of strong-aroma baijiu — clear and transparent, with a rich cellar aroma, mellow sweetness, full body, and a clean, long-lasting finish — but also has unique qualities: a fragrant mellowness upon first touching the lips, a sweet richness as it is about to be swallowed, a mouth-watering sensation as it enters the throat, and a refreshing clarity when the cup is finished. The flavor is rich and full, with a long aftertaste. The story of "Liu Ling Zui" has since spread across the land. The Liu Ling Zui liquor brewing technique has had a considerable influence on the development of China's brewing industry and the dissemination of liquor culture, and is an important component of Chinese wine culture. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Recycling lees with supplementary charge": Distilled lees are kept as the base for the next round and fresh grain added, so flavour builds up round by round. "One hundred and twenty days of cold sealed fermentation": Sealed solid fermentation lasts 120 days at low temperature, which concentrates rather than disperses the cellar aroma. "Cutting by section and by quality": Spirits are taken section by section and judged as they run, with only the middle cut going to the underground wine sea. "The lineage of the Qianri wine": Known locally as the Qianri wine method, it has run for forty-three generations, and its name is tied to Liu Ling and the Wine Ode.
Recycling lees with supplementary charge
Distilled lees are kept as the base for the next round and fresh grain added, so flavour builds up round by round.
One hundred and twenty days of cold sealed fermentation
Sealed solid fermentation lasts 120 days at low temperature, which concentrates rather than disperses the cellar aroma.
Cutting by section and by quality
Spirits are taken section by section and judged as they run, with only the middle cut going to the underground wine sea.
The lineage of the Qianri wine
Known locally as the Qianri wine method, it has run for forty-three generations, and its name is tied to Liu Ling and the Wine Ode.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Li Zhongsheng was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship, with Baodingshixushui, Hebei as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship in Baodingshixushui, Hebei: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Baodingshixushui, Hebei as its declared area, and Liulingzuiniangjiu 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
Historical origin
The Liu Ling Zui liquor brewing technique originated at Xushui, the earliest liquor-brewing site in China. Through a millennium of inheritance and development, it ultimately formed a complete set of brewing techniques — continuous-mash charging, long-term solid-state low-temperature fermentation, gentle-fire mixed steaming in steamer buckets, graded quality-based liquor picking, graded long-term storage, and careful blending — which have been widely applied in the brewing industry.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xu Chaozhong | Danyang, Jiangsu | 03-1416 | Other regional school |
| Wang Haoping | Changzhoushijintan, Jiangsu | 05-2839 | Other regional school |
| Lvminxiang | Jinhua, Zhejiang | 05-2840 | Other regional school |
| Chen Guanchang | Ningdeshipingnan, Fujian | — | Other regional school |
| Li Zhongsheng | Baodingshixushui, Hebei | — | This page |
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。