Walking on road, a thick scent of liquor was wrapped in the breeze. Following the scent of liquor, Lidu brewing workshop came into eyes. On June 2nd, the first stop of the large-scale foreign media’s interview was held in Lidu Town, Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province. More than 10 foreign journalists from Koreaxh News Agency, Vietnam News Agency and Serbia’s BETA News Agency experienced the quaintest brewing techniques and learned how to taste liquor at the Lidu distillery. Thus, they had a deeper understanding of the culture of Chinese liquor.
More than 10 foreign journalists visited the Lidu Chinese Liquor Workshop of Yuan Dynasty. Photographed by Hu Zhugen
Following the footsteps of the commentator, firstly, journalists came to an old-fashioned brewing workshop. Lots of cellars were neatly arranged. Workers were busy in pushing cars and holding cockroaches to brew mellow liquor by following ancient techniques. Journalists at the scene can’t help but press the shutter in their hands to record the “rare” scene.
“I am conquered by Li Du liquor! Although we also have liquor in Thailand, our technique is very simple and the taste is not so mellow. My family also brew liquor, and it is in short supply in holidays and festival. but if Lidu liquor are on Thailand’s market, there will be no market for my family’s liquor.” After tasting Li Du liquor at the scene, Puriwat Jaiboon, Thai TNN TV journalist, said.
Then, journalists came to the cellar site of Yuan Dynasty. The site is a large-scale ancient liquor workshop site with distinctive local characteristics of China, and is also an important and representative site of Chinese liquor culture. Many tourists, interested in liquor culture, from all over the country come here to visit and inspect.
“The round cellar of Yuan Dynasty, the waist-shaped cellar of Ming Dynasty, and the square cellar of Qing Dynasty, are all presented here. Here, I see the history of brewing, I feel very shocked. ” Zhao Yonghe, Vietnam News Agency journalists, said. He added that it is a feast not only for his mouth, but also for his eyes.
Zhao Yonghe (left), journalist from Vietnam News Agency, discusses the packaging with staff of Li Du liquor. (Photographed by Hu Zhugen)
In addition to tasting the spirit and visiting ancient liquor workshops, Zhao Yonghe and other foreign media journalists also completed a series of immersing experiences, such as tasting vinasse popsicle and distiller’s eggs, watching wine performances, experiencing self-making wines, and participating in liquor tasting competitions… In the continuous collision of series activities with wine element, the journalists were able to understand the profoundness of Chinese wine culture.
Zhao Yonghe said that through a series of activities, he had a certain understanding of China’s wine culture. The Chinese wine culture has a long history, and now it has penetrated into every aspect of people’s daily life, which makes him most impressed. He said: “For example, Chinese wine penetrates into the cooking field and can be used for seasoning thus making delicious food. It also penetrates into the cultural field and forms a unique culture such as poetry and wine games. In addition, it penetrates into the health field and becomes a unique wine recipe for health care by creating wine foot bath. I didn’t know that wine was so useful until this visit.”
Žana Obradović (middle), journalist from Serbian BETA News Agency, is learning the manufacturing process of Jiangxi liquor. (Photographed by Hu Zhugen)
Immersing experience on the scene, foreign media journalists personally learn to make liquor. (Photographed by Hu Zhugen)
Chen Haoguang, journalist from Indonesian International Daily said that the immersing experience has improved the industrial efficiency while protecting local cultural relics and driving the entire Lidu village economy. This is worth learning. “When a company grows bigger and stronger, it promotes China’s history and culture, reflecting a its mission to the society. This is the most commendable!”
In the afternoon, foreign media journalists also asked Zhu Dongcai, the 41th generation of the inheritor of Lidu liquor, the intangible cultural heritage, the essence of the wine-making process. Zhu Dongcai said that today, when everything is replaced by machines, the most important thing is to keep the craftsman spirit, follow the ancient wine-making techniques, and practice to brew a glass of wine that spreads culture. The journalists at the scene applauded his answer.
” The aroma of a sip of wine lasts for hundreds of years, beside Fuhe river lies the Lidu liquor that goes over a thousand years.” Having tasted the mellow liquor, reminisced the vicissitudes of the Yuan Dynasty and experienced the historical accumulation of Chinese liquor culture. Foreign journalists ended the visit with great harvest. (Journalist, Xie Shijia)