Liu Lingzui Distillery Site

Liu Lingzui Distillery Site

The Liu Lingzui Distillery Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The ancient distillery site of Liu Lingzui is located in Xushui County, Hebei Province.

The site is located within the first brewing workshop of the Liu Lingzui Liquor Factory. Established during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, it has a history of over 800 years and includes 16 ancient fermentation pits, a well, and some unearthed pottery vessels used for brewing. These 16 ancient fermentation pits have been in continuous use for over 800 years. Their walls are made entirely of clay. Owing to their uninterrupted use, they maintain an exceptionally diverse microbial population, resulting in liquor with a rich texture, smooth sweetness, and lingering fragrance. These ancient pits have a high premium yield rate of up to 90%, significantly higher than that of common pits. The Liu Lingzui ancient distillery site is currently the earliest known brewing site in China.

In October 2004, the Liu Lingzui ancient distillery site was included in China’s first list of cultural heritage landscapes related to liquor production. On June 27, 2005, it was approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration as one of the first “Chinese Food Cultural Heritage” sites. On December 15, 2006, the Liu Lingzui Distillery Site was listed by UNESCO as part of the “Tentative List of Chinese World Cultural Heritage.” In 2006, as an ancient site dating back to the Jin to Yuan dynasties, it was included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units