Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
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 · Core Techniques & Process
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.
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.
The fermentation hall still in use
The fermentation hall of the ancient cooking-vessel site is still working, making the site a living record of brewing history.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
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.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship · Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship · Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship · Niangzaojiuchuantong Brewing Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Centered on the Liu Ling Zui ancient distillery site in Baoding City, Hebei Province — a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level — it radiates outward, influencing the "Three-North" region. Liu Ling spent his final years in Xushui, and his tomb still exists today, being a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Hebei Provincial Level. The Liu Ling Zui liquor brewing technique was created by a person surnamed Zhang during the Jin dynasty and has been inherited and developed since. At present, the technique has been transmitted for 43 generations; through forms such as master-apprentice teaching and nationally organized baijiu technique training, it has cultivated more than 500 inheritors including wine tasters, of whom over 40 are core figures. The fermentation workshop at the Liu Ling Zui ancient distillery site is still in use today, serving as a living fossil for the study of China's brewing history and related culture. The inheritance and dissemination of this technique provides employment opportunities for the public and increases daily income, playing a positive role in supporting the economic development and social stability of the Taihang Mountain region.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Xu Chaozhong 03-1416
- Wang Haoping 05-2839
- Lvminxiang 05-2840
- Chen Guanchang
- Li Zhongsheng
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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