Tujia Zha Wine

Last updated 2026-11-12 — Shizhu Tujia Zha Wine originated in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties and has a long history. It is a celebratory wine used by the Tujia people during festive occasions and to welcome honored guests. Made by fermenting glutinous rice or crops such as sorghum, corn, and wheat, it is stored in earthenware jars. With low alcohol content and a sweet taste, it is sipped through bamboo, wheat, or reed straws. The wine is crystal clear and can be diluted with hot water and re-sipped until the flavor fades. Shi Dakai once wrote a poem praising it: "Ten thousand pearls in one cup, even nobles bow before it. Five dragons hold up a pillar reaching the sky, drinking until the Yangtze flows backward." It has now been developed into a tourist product and is highly favored by visitors.