Shuijingfang Liquor

Shuijingfang Liquor

Shuijingfang Liquor is a protected geographical indication product.

　　The ruins of the Shuijing Street Distillery are located on Shuijing Street in Jinjiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, east of the confluence of the Fuhe and Nanhe rivers. Originally, it was the distillery workshop of Quanxing Co., Ltd. In August 1998, while renovating the factory building, Quanxing Co., Ltd. discovered ancient brewing relics underground. Subsequently, the Sichuan Provincial Museum conducted an archaeological survey to determine the extent of the site. From March to April 1999, under the direct leadership of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, the Chengdu Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, the Sichuan Provincial Museum, and the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute jointly carried out archaeological excavations at the site.

　　In 1998, by the banks of the Jinjiang River in the Land of Abundance, a major new archaeological discovery gradually emerged from the earth. A grand ancient distillery workshop—Shuijingfang—after enduring over 600 years of history through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, once again presented itself intact before the world. Here, history was condensed into an eternal moment.

　　Through archaeological excavation and scientific analysis, the site revealed a clear view of the drying floor, fermentation pits, stoves, ash pits, road foundations, wooden pillars, and the base of the distillation equipment. These structures date from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties to the present day, with continuous production spanning several centuries without interruption. Such a complete and exquisitely preserved distillery workshop astonished experts in archaeology, history, and liquor-making. The National Cultural Heritage Administration identified it as the only known example of an ancient distillery and tavern in China, filling a gap in the specialized archaeology of distillery sites in the country. It has been hailed as the “No. 1 Distillery of Chinese Liquor,” with historical significance comparable to that of the “Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.” It serves as a silent chronicle of the development of China’s liquor industry and has been designated as a “National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.”

　　The discovery of “Shuijingfang” was accidental yet inevitable proof. Every major archaeological find is a convergence of time and space, a timeless emotion where beauty and wisdom often flash by like a fleeting glimpse.