Dongpu Ancient Town

Dongpu Ancient Town

Dongpu is a typical water town in the Jiangnan region. To its east lies Qingdian Lake, the remnant of the ancient Jianhu Lake. Everyone is familiar with He Zhizhang, the great Tang Dynasty poet from Shaoxing. When he retired due to old age and requested to return to his hometown, Emperor Gaozong bestowed upon him “a bend of Mirror Lake and Jian Stream,” hence later generations referred to Jianhu Lake as “Mirror Lake.” Li Bai wrote in his “Dreaming of the Heavenly Terrace Mountain and Bidding Farewell” that “I flew across Mirror Lake in a single night beneath the moon.” Because its waters are as clear as a mirror, it is also called “Reflecting Lake” or “Jianhu Lake.” It has also been known by other names such as “Qinghu Lake,” “Hejia Lake,” “Nanhu Lake,” and “Changhu Lake.” Originally, Shaoxing was a low-lying coastal area often plagued by floods. In the fifth year of the Yonghe era during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ma Zhen, the governor of Kuaiji, concerned about the people’s suffering, built dikes to store water, collecting the flows of 36 small rivers from Kuaiji and Shanyin counties. This formed the ancient Jianhu Lake, stretching 80 kilometers in length, with a circumference of 179 kilometers and covering an area of about 200 square kilometers—30 times larger than today’s West Lake. It was distributed across Shanyin and Kuaiji counties, becoming one of the oldest water conservancy projects in southeastern China. The ancient Jianhu Lake had a vast surface area and significant flood storage capacity. The lake dikes were equipped with sluice gates, along with supporting irrigation and drainage facilities such as locks, weirs, culverts, and drains. Today, remnants such as the Hujin Weir and Qingshui Sluice still exist within Dongpu and continue to be used as place names. Look at the expansive Jianhu Lake before you: in the distance, green mountains layer upon layer; up close, the azure waves reflect the light; among the waters, black-canopied boats slice through the surface, while stone arch bridges lie quietly on the lake. The breezes carry the scents of flowers, rice, and aged wine from both shores... This naturally beautiful scenery has captivated famous scholars and literati throughout the ages, leaving behind countless timeless verses. Wang Xizhi’s “Walking on the mountain, as if touring in a mirror”; Wang Shipeng’s “People are in the mirror, boats glide through a painted scene”; Li Bai’s “I wish to dream of Wu and Yue because of this, flying across Mirror Lake in a single night beneath the moon”; Du Fu’s “The women of Yue are the whitest under heaven, Jianhu Lake is cool in the fifth month.” In his later years, Lu You settled in his hometown at Sanshan and, after feasting his eyes on the beauty of Jianhu Lake, praised it with the words, “No need to spend a fortune on paintings, just listen to my long song praising Mirror Lake.”

Dongpu is a land of wine, and its bridges are also related to wine. There is a bridge called “Xinqiao,” a three-arch stone bridge located to the west of the town. On the bridge is a couplet: “The center of Pubei is the land of wine; the west end of the bridge leads to Goose Pond.” This couplet is like a colorful painting: on the emerald river, pairs of white geese with red beaks and crimson feet, as white as snow and jade, stretch their necks and sing, flapping their wings and playing in the water, splashing silver droplets and rippling the blue waves. The couplet straightforwardly reveals that Dongpu’s specialty is wine, with wineries standing in great numbers and wine flags hanging everywhere—this is a world of wine, reflecting the important status of Dongpu’s brewing industry in Shaoxing.

There is also the site of the Xiaozhen Winery where Zhu Houzhao once bought wine. The Xiaozhen Winery is located by the Yuefu Bridge, where wineries once stood in close succession. Though the area is now residential, the storefronts on both the south and north sides of the street still retain the appearance of old wine shops, instantly evoking the scene of “willow catkins blown by the wind, the fragrance of the tavern, a Wu maiden pressing wine and urging guests to taste.” Legend has it that Emperor Wuzong of Ming once visited in disguise and tasted wine in the back hall of the winery, greatly admiring it. Upon learning that the shop was run by a grandmother and her daughter-in-law, he was even more delighted and inscribed the characters “Xiaozhen” (Filial and Chaste) as praise. Back in Beijing, the romantic emperor issued an imperial edict designating the wine as a tribute to the court. Two hundred years later, Emperor Qianlong visited the south and, also drawn by its reputation, came to taste the fine brew of Dongpu. Naturally, the Qing emperor, who loved to leave his calligraphy wherever he went, composed a piece after tasting the wine and bestowed a golden cup. Since then, the Xiaozhen Winery has printed the image of this golden cup, used by Emperor Qianlong, on its labels as its trademark, greatly enhancing the winery’s fame. This golden cup is still kept by the descendants of the winery, and if you’re lucky, you may have the chance to see it.

In Dongpu, no matter where you go, you can see the inscription said to be left by Emperor Qianlong towering over the ancient town: “Wine from Yue is sold across the land, but the best comes from Dongpu.” Dongpu wine combines five flavors—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and umami—with a comprehensive style of aroma, mellowness, softness, smoothness, and freshness, making it a treasure among Yue wines. What is the secret behind the excellence of Dongpu wine? Aside from good water (from Jianhu Lake) and good rice (locally produced high-quality glutinous rice), the most important factor is a unique brewing technique. Some have likened Jianhu Lake water and premium rice to the blood and flesh of the wine, so this traditional skill could be boldly described as the soul of the wine. For specific brewing processes, you’ll have to ask the “wine masters,” or brewing artisans, and also discover it for yourselves through your visit. This unique technique of Dongpu wine has been passed down through generations and is the crystallization of thousands of years of practice. Dongpu is the earliest wine-producing region in Shaoxing, with a history dating back to the era of Yu the Great. By the Qing Dynasty, nearly every household here was engaged in winemaking. “Where there are famous springs, there must be fine wine,” “The finest springs under heaven converge in Jianhu Lake, producing wine of exceptional color and aroma.” Dongpu’s yellow wine not only has a large output but has also won numerous awards throughout the dynasties.

The land of wine gives birth to fine wine, and fine wine brings a unique cultural tradition to the wine town. In the past, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month was the birthday of the Wine God. An annual grand temple fair would be held, with dragon boat races to welcome the Wine God, accompanied by music and singing throughout the night. Historical records show that Tai Buha, the Yuan Dynasty governor of Shaoxing, once “drank local wine, raced dragon boats, and shared joy with the people” in Xuedu Village, Dongpu, holding a wine ceremony. This shows that as early as 700 years ago, Dongpu already had the customs of drinking and dragon boat racing. In 1936, local gentry Chen Ziying proposed changing the “Wine God Festival” to the “Wine Industry Fair.” In addition to worshiping the deity, welcoming the deity in festive processions, and performing community operas, the Wine Industry Fair also featured dragon boat races and was bustling with activity. At the time, merchants gathered, especially those from wineries and taverns, negotiating business with out-of-town traders, tasting the wine, and signing contracts for the purchase and sale of aged wine. The wineries would determine their production volume based on the contracts. The Dongpu Wine Industry Fair was a vivid reflection of the thriving production and sales of Shaoxing yellow wine. Today, this event has evolved into the Dongpu Wine Culture Festival. From 1987 to 1993, Dongpu Town hosted four Wine Culture Sports Meets. These included dragon and lion dances, dragon boat races, wine jar performances, wine jar lifting, wine cup holding, wine jar carrying, wine tasting competitions, as well as stilt walking and martial arts, attracting many domestic and international journalists. Photographers from the Fourth Zhejiang Photography Art Week gathered in Dongpu, capturing many unforgettable and precious moments. The overseas edition of People’s Daily, Wenhui Daily, Liberation Daily, and Yangcheng Evening News, among other renowned national and international newspapers, reported on the grandeur of the event. Visitors can also view photo exhibitions of the Wine Culture Sports Meet and watch its special documentary videos.