Traditional Distilling Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
According to the Zunyi Prefecture Gazetteer, during the Daoguang reign of the Qing dynasty (1821–1850), qu-liquor workshops had already formed a thriving cluster in the area of Donggong Temple in the northern suburb of Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. The "string-aroma" (chuanxiang) technique within the Dongjiu brewing craft was already promoted nationwide in the 1960s, and the technique of using two kinds of qu for production also made a considerable contribution to the development of China's multi-aroma types of baijiu.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Dongjiu brewing craft is one of the representatives of China's traditional distilled-liquor brewing crafts; its main distribution area is the roughly ten-kilometer belt from Donggong Temple to Gaoping Town in Huichuan District, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. This area lies at the northern end of the Guizhou Plateau, mainly low hills and wide-valley basins, belonging to a humid mid-subtropical monsoon climate zone with distinct seasons and rainfall and heat in the same season; within it are many rivers, lakes, and streams, with water on three sides. The unique ecological environment and climatic conditions, combined with the region's millennia-old small-scale brewing microenvironment, constitute the indispensable natural resources for brewing Dongjiu. First, making qu with medicinal herbs. Around 130-plus medicinal herbs participate in making the large and small qu. Second, solid-state small-qu and small-cellar fermentation to make the liquor ferment (jiupei). After the sorghum is soaked, boiled, and steamed, small qu is added in proportion and saccharified in the saccharification box; the saccharified ferment is then put together with red zaogao into the small cellar to ferment, forming the liquor ferment. Third, large-qu and large-cellar fermentation to make the aroma ferment (xiangpei). The red zaogao, Dong zaogao, and aroma zaogao are put into the large qu, mixed evenly and piled; then placed into the large cellar, with wine returned each time it is trodden tight, and the cellar is sealed once full. After over 18 months of fermentation, the aroma ferment is formed. Fourth, double-ferment string-distillation and quality-based liquor drawing. When distilling, the small-cellar liquor ferment is placed at the bottom of the distillation still, and the aroma ferment on top, for distillation. Through the string-distillation process, the ferment's grain aroma, liquor aroma, aroma-ferment aroma, ester aroma, and herbal aroma are dissolved into one. According to the taste requirements of different-quality base liquors, different string-distillation methods are used in production. Fifth, graded storage and refined blending: new liquors of different grades are put into different jars, stored for a period, and then selected for blending. Dongjiu has a unique style, belonging to the special aroma type of baijiu called the "Dong-aroma type" (Dongxiang). The liquor is clear and transparent or slightly yellow, with an elegant and comfortable aroma; it is mellow, rich, and harmonious on the palate and sweet and refreshing with a long finish after drinking. It has both the rich fragrance of large-qu liquor and the soft, mellow, and sweet-returning qualities of small-qu liquor, with a full and harmonious body. Dongjiu uses a hundred herbs in its qu yet is not a medicinal liquor; it upholds the traditional Chinese medical theory of balance and harmony from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon—"treat the not-yet-ill rather than the already-ill"—and is a fusion of medicinal efficacy and the liquor body. The Dongjiu brewing craft inherits and develops the crystallization of Chinese medicine culture and China's traditional distilled-baijiu craftsmanship.
Herbal qu making
Over a hundred and thirty herbs enter both the wheat daqu and the rice xiaoqu, chosen by the master according to that year's dampness.
Small-pit xiaoqu fermentation
Sorghum is soaked, boiled and steamed, mixed with xiaoqu, saccharified in a box and then pit-fermented with red distillers grains.
Eighteen months in the daqu pit
The mixed charges are stacked, trodden and splashed with wine, then sealed for over eighteen months to become the aromatic lees.
Double-lees steam blending
Pit lees below and aromatic lees above are steamed in one still so grain, ester and herbal aromas merge into one.
Graded storage and blending
New spirits of different grades are jarred separately, rested, and later blended in proportion.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The distribution of the Dongjiu craft does not spread out into a producing region like the strong-aroma type, but instead hugs the hills and valleys of the northern suburb, connected in a single line along the roughly ten-kilometer belt between Donggong Temple and Gaoping Town; the gazetteers' record of qu-liquor workshops forming a thriving cluster describes the daily life along this belt. The Dong-aroma type has only Dongjiu among all China's liquors, so master–apprentice teaching here follows the old rules of Donggong Temple, and sauce-aroma or strong-aroma experience brought from elsewhere often must be "re-translated" before it can be applied. The neighboring southern Sichuan and northern Guizhou are both sauce-aroma producing areas, yet rarely follow the path of using medicinal qu in brewing—which is precisely what makes Dongjiu irreplaceable.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Dongjiu brewing craft is uniquely distinctive, mainly manifested in the following five aspects. The large qu uses wheat as raw material, complemented by 40 medicinal herbs, and is cultured in the culture room into large qu; the small qu uses rice as raw material, complemented by 95 medicinal herbs, and is cultured in the culture room respectively into large and small qu. At present, the Dongjiu brewing craft is mainly transmitted from master to apprentice within the factory that produces Dongjiu, passing on related knowledge, skill, and culture through the master's demonstration, training, and production practice.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Gao Jingyan 03-1409
- Shang Liyun 03-1410
- Qin Wenke 03-1411
- Li Yuheng 03-1412
- Lai Dengyi 03-1414
- Li Jiashun 03-1415
- Yang Dajin 05-2838
- Zhou Xinhu
- Li Tianhua
- Xu Zhancheng
- Zhao Deyi
- Li Zexia
- Lu Zhenying
- Zhao Dong
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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