Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine

Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine

　　Shitang Town is located in the southwestern part of Renhua County. The ancient Shitang Village, which primarily produces Stacked-Flower Rice Wine, boasts a long history and a large-scale settlement. Since the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, Shitang Village has a history of 650 years. By the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, it had developed into a renowned village with a thousand households. The village currently has 133 ancient buildings, 106 of which are well-preserved. It is the most historically rich ancient village within the Shaoguan area, featuring the largest and best-preserved complex of ancient houses, lanes, wells, fortresses, traditions, and charm. Among its most representative structures, the Shuangfeng Fortress is a national key cultural relics protection unit, as well as a Guangdong Provincial Patriotic Education Base and a Guangdong Provincial Party History Education Base. In 2009, Shitang Village was named a “Guangdong Provincial Historic and Cultural Village.” In December 2010, it was further designated a “China Historic and Cultural Village” (the only one in Shaoguan), and in 2012, it was listed among the first group of “China Traditional Villages.” It also possesses two provincial-level intangible cultural heritages: “Shitang Moon Sister Songs” and “Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine Brewing Technique.”

　　The village’s excellent natural environment, abundant agricultural resources, and unique folk culture have fostered a profound culinary tradition. Shitang Village has long had the custom of brewing wine, with a history of over 350 years; during the Guangxu era, there were more than 80 wineries in the village.

　　Rice wine has traditionally been referred to as “burning wine.” During the Southern Song Dynasty, it earned the name “Stacked-Flower Rice Wine” after Wen Tianxiang, a famous statesman from Ji’an, Jiangxi, praised the local brew, saying, “The innkeeper has brewed such fragrant burning wine, its aroma is overwhelming, with layers stacking like flowers.” After Wen Tianxiang resisted the Yuan army, choosing death over surrender, and wrote the famous line, “Since ancient times, who has not died? Let me leave a loyal heart to shine in the annals of history,” people began to commemorate this loyal and virtuous minister by cherishing Stacked-Flower Rice Wine. From then on, the wine’s fame spread across the land. In the late Ming Dynasty, some people from Ji’an, Jiangxi, migrated south to Renhua. By that time, Shitang Village was already a widely known village with a thousand households. A renowned brewer came to Shitang during market day and was captivated by the rolling mountains, murmuring streams, cool well water, and the plump grains in the fields. He sighed, “What a perfect place to brew wine!” Thus, he settled in Shitang and used the village’s clear, sweet well water and premium rice to brew Stacked-Flower Rice Wine. Its taste, aroma, and appearance rivaled those of the rice wine from Ji’an, Jiangxi.

　　Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine is made from high-quality local groundwater, homemade distiller’s yeast, and traditional craft methods, entirely hand-brewed. It combines clear color, fragrant aroma, mellow taste, and excellent quality, enjoying considerable renown in northern Guangdong. The favorable environment, abundant agricultural resources, and superior water quality contribute to the wine’s premium characteristics. Its pure fragrance and pleasant taste have made it widely known, attracting countless visitors from Lechang, Qujiang, and Renhua to trade at the market and purchase the wine.

　　In recent years, leveraging the cultural heritage and “brand effect” of Shitang Ancient Village as a “China Historic and Cultural Village,” Shitang Town has seized the opportunity presented by the implementation of the important directives of the Provincial Party Secretary during his inspection of Shitang Ancient Village on May 2, 2013, to strengthen and expand the Stacked-Flower Rice Wine industry and cultivate a distinctive regional tourism brand.

　　First, cooperatives were established to enable scaled production. In June 2013, the Stacked-Flower Rice Wine Agricultural Products Professional Cooperative was formed, with the initial 21 brewers joining the cooperative. This allowed them to “huddle together for warmth,” increasing the annual output of base liquor from over 100 tons to more than 200 tons. A trend of booming production and sales emerged, initially achieving scale benefits and advancing the industrial production process of regionally characteristic products. Second, software improvements were made to achieve market access. With the attention and support of the county’s special task force, a comprehensive set of procedures was completed for Shitang Rice Wine, including registered trademarks, product barcodes, packaging design, food hygiene and safety, and production and distribution. The county’s quality supervision department was invited to conduct inspections, successfully bringing Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine to market and laying the foundation for implementing the brand strategy. Third, supporting infrastructure was further enhanced. In 2013, Shitang Town raised nearly 1 million yuan to establish a tourism information and exhibition center and the Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine Exhibition Hall. These efforts improved facilities for product display, marketing, appreciation, and experience, comprehensively showcasing the history, brewing process, quality features, craftsmanship inheritance, and future plans of Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine. This boosted the wine’s visibility and supported the scaling up of its industry brand. Fourth, promotional efforts were intensified. Since 2013, Shitang Town has assisted Guangdong Southern TV, Beijing Travel Satellite TV, and Shaoguan TV in producing special feature programs such as “Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage · Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine,” scenes of the “Stacked-Flower Rice Wine,” and “Discovering Specialties.” In January 2014, the Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine Tourism Culture Festival was successfully held. Through activities such as demonstrations of the intangible heritage brewing technique and wine tastings and competitions, the festival used “wine as a medium” to further explore and showcase the deep historical and cultural significance and regional characteristics of Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine. From the perspectives of intangible cultural heritage preservation, tourism resources, regional specialties, and local cuisine, it provided multi-dimensional promotion of the wine, earning widespread social acclaim and laying a social foundation for shaping the Shitang Stacked-Flower Rice Wine brand.