Yesan Pass Corn Wine

Yesan Pass Corn Wine

　　Yesan Pass Corn Wine is produced in Tanjia Village, Yesan Pass Town, Badong County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province. Nestled at an altitude of 1,200 meters in the Wuling Mountains, the area enjoys a pleasant climate and simple, hospitable folkways. National Highway 318 runs through the region, and ancient inscriptions have hailed it as the “Third Pass Under Heaven,” making it a vital route from Hubei to Sichuan. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a treacherous section of the Shu Road. Legend has it that long, long ago, a family surnamed Wang in Shanxi made a living by brewing wine. The eldest son, Wang Zitai, learned the craft from his father from a young age and mastered the art of winemaking. He was determined to spread his brewing skills far and wide to benefit people everywhere, so he journeyed south alone, teaching the art of winemaking to local workshops along the way. One day, Wang Zitai arrived at Yesan Pass, where “peaks tower so close to the sky they seem within reach.” He was captivated by the clear mountain springs and the unpretentious local people. He decided to stay and made Xiangshui Cave his home. Using the locally abundant highland barley and mixed grains as ingredients, he brewed a fragrant and intoxicating liquor. Later, he married a woman surnamed Tan, adapted to local customs, and his descendants adopted her surname, Tan. The Tan family flourished and continued the winemaking tradition, giving rise to the renowned “Tanjia Village Winery.”