Fengjing Huangjiu (Yellow Rice Wine)

Fengjing Huangjiu

　　Fengjing is currently the only high-quality huangjiu production base in the Shanghai area. In 1939, three breweries from Pudong, Shanghai—Pingyuan, Kangji, and Fujiproduced—merged and relocated to Fengjing, establishing the Pingkangfu Brewery (Workshop). In 1956, it underwent public-private joint operation, in 1966, it was changed to the state-owned Shanghai Gongnong Brewery. In 1979, it was named the Shanghai Fengjing Brewery. For over 60 years, Fengjing has been an important production hub for huangjiu.

Huangjiu, made from ingredients such as rice, glutinous rice, black rice, wheat, and corn, is fermented using koji and yeast as saccharifying and fermenting agents. It is a type of alcoholic beverage unique to China.

Fengjing Brewery is one of China's major huangjiu producers. In 1971, the brewery pioneered a new production process for huangjiu nationwide, building the country’s first production line capable of yielding 10,000 tons annually using this new method. At the same time, the huangjiu fermentation strain developed there was recognized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a superior strain, assigned the unified code AS21392, and adopted by huangjiu producers across the nation, contributing significantly to the reform of China's huangjiu production techniques.

The Jinfeng-branded series of huangjiu produced by Fengjing Brewery is meticulously brewed using premium glutinous rice. The wine boasts a clear, golden-yellow hue and an elegant, rich aroma. It is distinctive for being the first in China to use the “exploded malt koji” technique to produce fermentation saccharifying agents, giving Jinfeng wine its unique koji fragrance.

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Jinfeng huangjiu has maintained decades of strong sales in Shanghai due to its excellent quality and reasonable price. It has won the National Silver Award twice and was named a Shanghai Famous Product for three consecutive years. It has also received multiple Gold and Silver Cup Awards in national food industry competitions. Over 80% of its main products are “Tejiāfàn” (Special Added Rice) huangjiu. The name comes from the brewing process, which involves adding more rice (and less water) than usual. While regular huangjiu yields about 2.2 kg from 1 kg of glutinous rice, Tejiāfàn huangjiu requires only 0.6 kg of rice per 1 kg of wine, resulting in superior taste and aroma compared to ordinary huangjiu. In recent years, its Six-Year-Aged Shanghai Old Wine and Three-Year-Aged Tejiāfàn, crafted from long-aged Tejiāfàn base, offer richer aromas, smoother flavors, and longer-lasting aftertastes. In the second half of 2002, the successful market launch of “Shikumen Shanghai Old Wine” (available in 1939 and 2001 versions) took Shanghai by storm and quickly became a favorite in the huangjiu market.

In the 1990s, Shanghai Fengjing Brewery was restructured into Shanghai Jinfeng Brewing Company. Starting in 1993, through capital operations such as mergers, trusteeships, and swaps, it formed four production entities under the Jinfeng umbrella: the Fengjing Brewery, Dianshanhu Brewery, Jinshan Brewery, and the First Branch of Fengjing Brewery, achieving an annual production capacity of 45,000 tons. In 2003, Jinfeng Brewing Company acquired 300 acres of land in the Fengjing Industrial Park to build a new production facility with an annual output of 40,000 tons, bringing the company’s total annual huangjiu output to over 80,000 tons, making it China’s largest single-producer of huangjiu by volume.

Huangjiu is highly nutritious. The Jinfeng series contains seven essential amino acids that the human body needs but cannot synthesize on its own. Moderate, regular consumption can stimulate appetite and relieve fatigue. Huangjiu can also be used in cooking as a flavor enhancer—it helps eliminate fishy odors and adds aroma, making dishes more delicious. Additionally, huangjiu can serve as a medicinal agent; soaking herbs in huangjiu allows the medicinal properties to infuse into the alcohol, enhancing efficacy while promoting blood circulation, invigorating qi, nourishing the body, and improving skin health. In Fengjing, after exploring the ancient town, enjoy local specialties such as dried tofu alongside a glass of bright, golden huangjiu, slowly sipped—a truly heavenly experience.