Changyu Company Wine Cellar

Changyu Company Wine Cellar

The Changyu Company Wine Cellar is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Changyu wine cellar is located in the century-old grand cellar of Changyu by the Yellow Sea. With a depth of 7 meters and situated less than 100 meters from the coast and 1 meter below sea level, it is the world's only wine cellar beneath a beach—an ideal environment for nurturing wine. Inside the cellar lies a unique world: eight arched tunnels crisscross like a labyrinth, with rows of oak barrels aging wine or brandy quietly slumbering, while the aromatic scents wafting through the cellar resemble their sweet dreams. Among the century-old barrels, three massive oak casks known as Asia’s “Barrel Kings” are particularly noteworthy for their astonishing capacity. Each can store 15 tons of wine.

The Changyu Century Grand Cellar was first built in 1894, took 11 years to complete, and underwent three renovations. Constructed with large blue stones and cement arches, it consists of 8 arched tunnels covering a total area of 1,976 square meters. At the time, the Commercial Officials’ Gazette recorded: “Even this single wine cellar project required numerous redesigns by Zhenxun (Zhang Bishi’s original name) before success was achieved. When it was nearly completed, engineers from various countries who came to observe were astonished, declaring that the Chinese possessed such extraordinary capability.” Changyu’s earliest oak barrels were made from oak planks imported from Austria and Italy, which were then processed in-house. These planks came from trees over a hundred years old, were naturally air-dried for more than three years after being cut, and were thoroughly cleansed of any unwanted odors by sun and rain exposure before being selected by Changyu for barrel-making. Historical records indicate that by 1908, Changyu had 430 oak barrels of various sizes, in seven different specifications. Particularly eye-catching are the three 15,000-liter oak barrels standing in the Changyu Century Grand Cellar, referred to as the “Asian Barrel Kings.” For Changyu, these oak barrels carry the weight of a century-long winemaking history.

The internationally renowned Changyu underground grand cellar broke ground in 1894. Due to the sandy soil and its proximity to the sea, it partially collapsed shortly after completion due to severe water seepage.

Later, Zhang Chengqing, then the general manager, and the construction team adopted Western methods—using iron beams for arches and steel bricks for walls—in hopes of creating a permanent structure. However, the damp cellar caused the metal components to rust rapidly, and with several days of heavy rain and floods combined with high tides pouring in, the structure ultimately gave way.

Setbacks led to wisdom. They then began using large blue bricks fired in China to build the arches, with walls constructed entirely from giant blue stones, each weighing over a ton, quarried from the mountains. Cement was used to seal wall joints and plaster surfaces, making them both sturdy and smooth. In 1905, the grand cellar was completed after three renovations. Covering a total area of 1,976 square meters and 7 meters deep, though less than 100 meters from the sea and over 1 meter below sea level, there were no signs of water leakage. Eight deep arched tunnels crisscross inside, concealing hundreds of oak barrels filled with wine. The cellar maintains a constant temperature of around 11°C year-round, providing an exceptional environment for wine maturation. In later years, when Changyu brandy and wines gained worldwide fame, this one-of-a-kind underground grand cellar in Asia played a crucial role.

In 1892 (the 18th year of the Guangxu reign), Zhang Bishi, the wealthiest man in Nanyang, invested 3 million taels of silver to establish China’s first wine brewing company in Yantai, Shandong. Two years later, Zhang Bishi decided to build an underground grand cellar, choosing a site along Yantai’s coastline. The project was overseen by his nephew, Zhang Chengqing, who had studied industrial manufacturing and civil engineering at St. Xavier’s College in Penang.

Given the strict professional requirements for wine cellars in terms of temperature, humidity, and other factors, Changyu first brought in architects from abroad to construct the cellar according to Western methods—using iron beams for arches and steel bricks for walls, resulting in unmatched sturdiness. However, constructing a large building on the coast was unprecedented at the time, leading to many challenges.

One major issue was that groundwater seeping from the coast placed immense strain on the iron beams and steel bricks, causing increasing levels of rust. After consulting with the architects, Zhang Chengqing decided to use traditional Chinese large blue stones combined with Portland cement (cement) for the arches, transforming the cellar. The spiraling staircase descending into the cellar was also made from corrosion-resistant stone slabs.

By combining the wisdom of Eastern and Western architecture, the Changyu underground grand cellar underwent three renovations and was finally completed in 1905. As the first underground wine cellar in Chinese history, it covers an area of 1,976 square meters, is 7 meters deep, and lies just over 1 meter below sea level. It features eight interlocking arched tunnels and maintains a constant temperature of around 11°C year-round, making it the world’s only “beachside wine cellar.” Its ingenious architectural achievements resounded across Asia.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Council Document [2013] No. 13) designated the Changyu Company Wine Cellar as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units