Lijiang Xunjiu

Last updated 2026-11-16 — Is a traditional, locally produced premium liquor from Lijiang, classified as a low-alcohol, nutritious type of yellow wine. The wine has a reddish-brown hue with an amber sheen. It tastes smooth and sweet, with a rich aroma and a fragrant aftertaste. Although it is a sweet-style yellow wine with high nutritional value and sugar content, it lacks the thick, sticky texture typical of most sweet yellow wines. When the wine touches the lips, the balance of sugar, alcohol, fermenting agents, and various flavoring ingredients is perfectly calibrated—sweet but not cloying, mellow but not harsh. Whether served with meals or enjoyed on its own, it appeals to all palates, regardless of gender or drinking capacity, stimulating the appetite. Lijiang Xunjiu was once a featured brand in the province’s hotels and guesthouses that catered to international guests, particularly favored by Japanese visitors. During Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Kunming, she reportedly enjoyed three glasses in a row at a banquet and spoke highly of it. Most visitors to Lijiang take pleasure in tasting Xunjiu. Legend has it that in Lijiang folklore, parents seal and bury a jar of Xunjiu under a plum or plum-pear tree in their courtyard upon the birth of a son, to be opened only on his wedding day—the resulting brew is said to be incredibly aromatic and sublime.