Site of the Ancient Wuliangye Fermentation Pits

Site of the Ancient Wuliangye Fermentation Pits

The Site of the Ancient Wuliangye Fermentation Pits is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The existing Ming Dynasty underground fermentation pits (referred to as "pits") for Wuliangye liquor at the Yibin Wuliangye Distillery are located in the "Shunzi Group" and "Dongfeng Group" workshops within the urban area of the distillery.

The "Shunzi Group" workshop is located at No. 70 Changchun Street, Yibin City, on the former site of the "Lichuan Yong" distillery. There are currently 27 pits, arranged from southwest to northeast in left, middle, and right rows. The seventh, eighth, and ninth pits in the left row (northwest side), counted from the front, are the Ming Dynasty pits, numbered 21, 22, and 23. Research indicates that these three pits originally belonged to the predecessor of "Lichuan Yong," the "Wen Defeng" distillery, which was established in the early Ming Dynasty. Their prototype is in the shape of a "dou" (a traditional Chinese grain measure), differing from the rectangular pits opened by the "Zhang Wanhe" and "Ye Desheng" distilleries during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Based on historical oral accounts and the direct lineage of the secret recipe for "Za Liang Jiu" (renamed Wuliangye in 1929), it is determined that the age of these three pits does not postdate the early Ming Dynasty.

1. Site of the "Changfasheng" Ancient Fermentation Pits

Protected Area: Extending 4.5 meters southward from the southern exterior wall of the Changfasheng building to the northern side of Gonglu Road on Gucheng Street; extending 7 meters eastward from the eastern exterior wall of the Changfasheng building to the eastern side of residential buildings; extending 6 meters northward from the northern exterior wall of the Changfasheng building; extending 10 meters westward from the western exterior wall of the Changfasheng building to the western wall of the current residential building. The area is approximately 2,828 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 50 meters southward from the southern exterior wall of the Changfasheng building to the southern side of the Yicheng Audit Bureau dormitory compound; extending 44 meters eastward from the eastern exterior wall of the Changfasheng building to the western side of Gonglu Road on Laomishijie Street; extending 60 meters northward from the northern exterior wall of the Changfasheng building; extending 26 meters westward from the western exterior wall of the Changfasheng building to the western side of Yifu Street. The area is approximately 15,075 square meters.

2. Site of the "Lichuan Yong" Ancient Fermentation Pits

Protected Area: Extending 5.6 meters southward from the southern exterior wall of the Lichuan Yong Qing Dynasty courtyard building; extending 4 meters eastward to the eastern side of the Quanhengchang building and to the eastern side of Gonglu Road on Changchun Street; extending 6 meters northward to the northern sidewalk adjacent to the Lichuan Yong building; extending to the western exterior wall of the Meiyuan group. The area is approximately 5,052 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 60 meters southward from the southern exterior wall of the Lichuan Yong Qing Dynasty courtyard building; extending 44 meters eastward from the eastern exterior wall of the Quanhengchang building; extending 65 meters northward to the southern bank embankment of the Min River near the Lichuan Yong building; extending 55 meters westward from the western exterior wall of the Lichuan Yong building. The area is approximately 27,759 square meters.

Further Reading:

·Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units