Shixian Taibai Baijiu: Transmitting the Beauty of Life Through Poetry and Baijiu

Yang Yan

Each place has its own way of brewing its liquor. In various parts of our country， due to the different climates and geological conditions， liquors not only possess unique flavors but also carry distinctive historical and cultural significance， such as Beijings Erguotou， Guizhous Maotai， Shanxis Fenjiu， and Yibins Wuliangye. Meanwhile， Shixian Taibai embodies Chongqings wine culture.

Ba Peoples Great Skills in Brewing Famous Liquors

The wine culture of China is extensive and profound， running through the entire Chinese civilization. China is one of the worlds earliest countries to possess winemaking techniques. Over thousands of years of evolution， our wine culture has permeated every aspect of peoples lives and gained acclaim both at home and abroad.

The liquor brewed by ancient Ba people is famous for “Baxiangqing”. According to “The Commentary on the Water Classic： Yangtze River”， “The Yangtze River flows through Yufu County （in present-day Three Gorges area of Chongqing） to Guling... On the left bank of the Yangtze River is Baxiang Village， in which residents are good at brewing liquors and producing famous brands.” This liquor was precious and highly reputed. When King Zhao of Qin signed a treaty of alliance with the Bandun Man， this liquor was included in the clauses and conditions. It takes a long time to brew a strained liquor. As it is brewed in winter and obtained in summer， this kind of liquor is clear and mellow， regarded as a top-grade liquor.

With a history of over 2，000 years， the Ba liquor has been selected as a tribute wine for its unique flavor and aroma. Since then， baijiu became popular around the country， attracting so many scholars and literati who created numerous masterpieces， while tasting the liquor.

In 1915， the Three-Hundred-Year-Old Laojiao Daqu produced by Wenyongsheng Distillery in Luzhou garnered international recognition by receiving the prestigious gold medal at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco， United States. Hearing the news， Bao Nianrong， a businessman from Wanzhou who was determined to uncover the secrets of brewing excellent wine， embarked on a journey upstream by boat， heading to Luzhou to conduct investigations and learn. In 1917， Bao Nianrong purchased cellar mud and yeast starter at a high price from Wenyongsheng Distillery. He returned to Wanzhou and established Hualinchun Distillery. This marked the predecessor of the Shixian Taibai brand and initiated a century-long bond with the production of strong aroma liquor.

A Bottle of Fine Wine Coming with Great Effort

Every city boasts its unique imprints and flavors. It is said that one flavor represents one city. This is an expression of historical and cultural deposits as well as the local customs of the city.

Shixian Taibai was born in Wanzhou， Chongqing， which is known as the Golden Triangle of Chinese liquor， located at 30° north latitude. Wanzhou is a natural brewing ground for microbial fermentation， aroma production， and ester production，” said Zhu Kunchang， General Manager of Shixian Taibai Liquor Sales Co.， Ltd. “We carefully select red sorghum from the Three Gorges Reservoir Region， as well as the Xiefeng Mountain Spring at an altitude of 1，318 meters. With the help of century-old cellars， we strictly follow the six ancient brewing methods inherited from the Shang and Zhou dynasties and uphold industry-leading high-quality monitoring standards.”

As the company continuously innovated in the techniques of brewing Shixian Taibai， it has developed modern baijiu products with profound Eastern aesthetic significance and pioneered the “Dual Aging” brewing technique： first， the brewed base liquor is placed in pottery jars， and then it undergoes multiple rounds of dynamic cellar aging in a temperature and humidity-controlled wine cellar. After being mixed and finalized by national-level masters， it is then placed in a pottery jar. The produced liquor is naturally aromatic with a smooth and mellow taste.

The ancient cellars for Shixian Taibai have been rated as a cultural relic protection unit of Wanzhou District， while the brewing technique has been inscribed on Chongqings intangible cultural heritage list. The “Dual Aging” brewing technique has been awarded the second prize in the Chongqing Science and Technology Progress Awards. Throughout the journey， the product quality has been significantly improved， with a series of technological upgrades and capacity expansions as well as quality enhancements and efficiency improvements.

Shixian Taibai Presented as a Chongqing Gift for Foreign Affairs

Throughout history， liquor has been a universal “l(fā)anguage” that plays a crucial role in promoting friendly exchanges between countries. “Chongqing Gifts for Foreign Affairs serve as a bridge and testimony to international exchanges， carrying the unique historical and cultural heritage of Chongqing. Shixian Taibai is such a gift，” said Zhu Kunchang.

Shixian Taibai has been presented as a Chongqing gift for foreign affairs many times. By participating in events such as the SCO Heads of Region Meeting， the Belt and Road Forum for Interconnected Land-Sea Development， the Global Travel Agents Conference， the China Digital Economy Cooperation Conference， and the China International Alcoholic Drinks Expo， and engaging in programs like CCTVs Chinese Poetry Conference， we have showcased Shixian Taibai， allowing people to taste this liquor and gain insights into the essence of Chinese wine culture. It has also received honors such as the Gold Award at the International Spirits Challenge 2020 and engaged in communication and exchanges with world-renowned liquor brands.

As an important part of traditional Chinese culture， baijiu embodies artistic aesthetics and wisdom in life. Zhu Kunchang believes that conveying the aesthetics of Eastern lifestyle and showcasing Chinas cultural confidence is a social responsibility that modern liquor companies should undertake， and Shixian Taibai has always practiced this concept.

Since 2019， Shixian Taibai has successfully held two sessions of the China （Chongqing） Poetry and Liquor Culture Festival， and the brands cultural IP continues to grow， becoming a new business card for Chongqings cultural tourism brand. Through activities such as the “Spring Brewing Ceremony”， “Tang Banquet”， and “Thousand Peoples Aromatic Liquor Tasting”， it has achieved the dissemination of poetry， liquor， and corporate culture， enabling the brand to take root and empowering culture.

“Shixian Taibai is reshaping the spirit of poetry and liquor in the new era， and inheriting and innovating it in a modern way， awakening the cultural genes in consumers blood，” Zhu Kunchang said.