Daquan Yuan Liquor

Daquan Yuan Liquor

Daquan Yuan Liquor is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Daquan Yuan Liquor is a specialty of Tonghua County, Jilin Province, named after Daquan Yuan Township where it is produced. The brewing history of this liquor dates back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, when the Jurchen tribes established a distillery here. Its mellow, sweet, and smooth taste earned it the status of imperial wine, personally endorsed by Nurhaci, and subsequent Qing emperors also listed Daquan Yuan Distillery Liquor as a tribute. Daquan Yuan Liquor maintains traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage brewing techniques, including the use of ancient well mineral water, pure grain fermentation, solid-state fermentation, and storage in wine vats, ensuring superior quality. The “Daquan Yuan” brand of liquor has won numerous accolades, including “Famous Liquor of Guandong,” “Gold Award at the First China Food Expo,” “Special Gold Award at the Paris International Expo,” “Jilin Famous Brand,” “Jilin Provincial Industry Famous Liquor,” and “China Historical and Cultural Famous Liquor.”

　　Premium Water Source. Water is the foundation of the distillery. The water used to brew Daquan Yuan Liquor comes from the ancient deep well known as the “Number One Spring of Guandong.” Certified by the National Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, it is a natural high-quality mineral water rich in beneficial trace elements such as radon, strontium, zinc, and metasilicic acid, classified as calcium magnesium bicarbonate type. For over 100 years, Daquan Yuan Liquor has gained worldwide fame thanks to this unique and premium mineral water resource.  Carefully Selected Ingredients. Daquan Yuan Liquor is entirely brewed from high-quality large red sorghum. The sorghum is meticulously chosen from fertile regions of the Northeastern Plain, such as Baicheng and southern Liaoning, ensuring plump grains, vibrant color, and pure texture, all of which guarantee product quality.  Traditional Techniques. The distillery adheres to traditional solid-state fermentation methods—crushing the sorghum, adding starter culture, fermenting it in pits for a set period, and then distilling it into pure grain spirits.  Wine Vat Storage. The wooden wine vat collection of Daquan Yuan Liquor Industry is the largest in number, best preserved, and most actively used in the country, forming an essential part of traditional brewing. It has been recognized as a cultural relic. Daquan Yuan Liquor Industry is the only producer in China that uses these relic-grade wooden wine vats for storage. Aging the base liquor in wooden vats results in a richer body, more fragrant aroma, smoother taste, and longer-lasting aftertaste.

　　Daquan Yuan Liquor Industry boasts a long-standing historical and cultural legacy. From the discovery of the precious Daquan Yuan spring by the Jurchens and the establishment of the tribal distillery, to 1616 when Nurhaci designated it as the imperial distillery; and from the eastern tours of Qing emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong to Xingjing (Xinbin County, Liaoning) and Shengjing (Shenyang, Liaoning), during which they requisitioned Daquan Yuan Distillery Liquor for imperial use. By 1884, the imperial distillery was expanded, and the Qing Xingjing government, recognizing the distillery’s imperial contributions, named the expanded brewery “Baoquan Yong.” After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Daquan Yuan Liquor Industry became the first state-owned enterprise in Tonghua County. In the mid-1990s, its annual sales once ranked as the highest among liquor enterprises in Jilin Province. In 2004, after transitioning to private ownership, entrepreneur Guan Baoshu led his outstanding team to develop while inheriting traditions and improve through innovation, bringing new vitality to Daquan Yuan Liquor Industry.

　　Product Honors

　　In 1978, Daquan Yuan Liquor won first place in the Baijiu evaluation across nine provinces (and municipalities) north of the Yellow River; in 1993, it was awarded the International Special Gold Award at the Paris International Food Expo; in 1995, it received the Gold Award at the First China International Food Expo; in January 2006, Daquan Yuan Liquor was again honored as a Jilin Famous Product; in November 2006, the Daquan Yuan registered trademark was rated as a Jilin Famous Trademark for 12 consecutive years; on May 31, 2007, provincial documents No. [2007]20 and 21 approved the inclusion of Daquan Yuan Liquor brewing techniques in the first batch of provincial-level intangible cultural heritage, and the Qing Baoquan Yong Distillery site as a sixth-batch provincial cultural relics protection unit, making Daquan Yuan Liquor Industry the only enterprise in Jilin Province with “dual heritage” status; on December 30, 2007, the China Historical and Cultural Famous Liquor Selection Committee named Daquan Yuan Liquor a China Historical and Cultural Famous Liquor, making it the only Baijiu enterprise in Jilin Province to receive this honor; on June 7, 2008, State Council document No. [2008]19 approved the inclusion of Daquan Yuan Liquor’s traditional brewing techniques in the second batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage, making it the only Baijiu brewing enterprise in Jilin Province to possess national-level intangible cultural heritage.

　　Protected Geographical Indication Product

　　In 2010, after review by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, it was decided to implement national geographical indication product protection for Daquan Yuan Liquor.

　　Protected Area

　　The protected geographical indication area for Daquan Yuan Liquor includes the administrative regions of 15 townships in Tonghua County, Jilin Province: Daquan Yuan Township, Kuaida Mao Town, Sipeng Township, Yingebu Town, Sankeshu Yushu Town, Fujiang Township, Guanghua Town, Jiangdian Town, Xinglin Town, Guosong Town, Donglai Township, Shihu Town, Jindou Township, Da’an Town, and Ermi Town.