Yellow wine is one of the three oldest types of wine in the world and a national specialty of my country. Its use of koji wine and double fermentation brewing method is unique in the world. Shaoxing rice wine is the most popular Chinese rice wine, and it is well known to the world. However, deep in the motherland, there is a kind of "Fangling rice wine" that is 400 years older than Shaoxing rice wine and is still popular today. (Fangling is now Fangxian County) [Edit this paragraph] History of Fangxian Yellow Wine "Fangling Yellow Wine" has a long history. In ancient times, it was called "Fengjiang Royal Wine" and "Emperor Fenghuang Wine". According to historical records, Shaoxing yellow wine was first produced during the reign of King Goujian of Yue in 492 BC, while "Fangling Yellow Wine" became the "Fengjiang Royal Wine" as early as 827 BC in the Western Zhou Dynasty.
During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty, the King of Chu sent Yin Jifu from Fangling (author of the Book of Songs) as an envoy to pay tribute to King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty. Yin Jifu brought a jar of "Baimao" (yellow wine) produced by the people of Fangling. It was presented to King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty, and the treasure was brought to the palace and the altar was filled with incense. King Zhou Xuan took a sip and praised its beauty, so he named it "Fengjiang Royal Wine". He also sent people to pack the "baimao" sent by Fangling every year into jars of different sizes, sealed the territory according to the "baimao", rewarded the princes, and appointed Yin Jifu as the grand master to support the government. Later, Yin Jifu became a great man of the generation who was "able to govern the country with literature and secure the country with force".
During the Han Dynasty, Fangling rice wine was widely popularized and became a burial object for dignitaries. In 1974, a large number of wine utensils for rice wine were found in a Han tomb unearthed in Qilihe, Fang County, including a large jar. The rice wine from that time is still preserved.
Fangling Yellow Wine was popular in the Tang Dynasty. In the first year of Tang Sisheng's reign (AD 684), Empress Tianwu usurped the throne and deposed Tang Zhongzong Li Xian as King of Luling. King Luling demoted to Fangzhou (today's Fang County), bringing with him 720 royal palace craftsmen. This is the so-called legend that King Luling brought 700 craftsmen to Fangzhou.
Fang County is located at the foothills of the famous Shennongjia Mountains. It is surrounded by mountains and has towering ancient trees. It is a wild land. At that time, there was no government but no city. There were only naturally formed villages located on the deltas of the north and south rivers. After King Luling arrived in Fangzhou, he assessed the terrain, built a palace, and scattered the craftsmen he brought among the people to teach them their skills.
Two years later, there was a severe drought in Fangzhou, and the north and south rivers were cut off. The people had no water to eat. They prayed to God, but all failed. Many people had to abandon their homes and flee. King Luling was also worried about water all day long. He sent people everywhere to look for water sources and check the places where wells were dug. One day, when I came to the confluence of the north and south rivers, I found that the ground was cracked everywhere, the trees were dead, and the grass was withered. There was only a clump of water rush green leaves dripping green. When King Luling stepped forward to pull up the water rush grass, he saw a clear spring overflowing and digging deeper. The bigger the pit, the more prosperous the water was. King Luling held up the water and took a sip. The water tasted sweet and delicious. So people were hired to dig wells. When they were tired, drinking a sip of water from the wells would relieve fatigue. But it's strange that after drinking the water from this well, the old people feel younger, and the young people feel stronger after drinking it. Millions of people come to drink well water. Carrying water all day long, there was no shortage of water in the well, heavy rains poured down, and the water in the well did not rise even when the river surged. For a time, it was called the holy well of holy water by the locals. The King of Luling built the "Octagonal Glazed Well" with colored glaze. The craftsmen use secret recipes passed down from their ancestors, using corn, rice, sorghum, and buckwheat as raw materials, and take the well water to brew wine, which is fragrant all year round. The King of Luling did not dare to drink alone, so he installed the four altars, sealed them with his own hands, sent people to escort Chang'an to pay tribute, and submitted a letter to Wu Zetian describing the efficacy of the divine water and asking for an imperial edict to seal the name of the wine.
After Wu Zetian demoted his son to Fangzhou, he sent people to inquire about his son Li Xian from time to time. He was very pleased to hear that his son was diligent in political affairs and had a good reputation in the world. After unsealing it and taking a sip, I suddenly felt refreshed and refreshed, and my mouth was full of aroma. I even called it a good wine. Xu Yanbo, the senior official, said: "The sacred spring water of Fangzhou is treasured on the royal table. It is a blessing to the emperor and makes all the palaces drunk. Let's call it 'Fangling Royal Wine'!" The emperor wrote a letter, and the wine became famous. People from Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Huguang all came to Fangzhou to taste this wine, and it was a pleasure to drink it. The King of Luling was also addicted to drinking this wine, and gradually developed the feeling of "drinking three small cups of rice wine a day, and staying in Fangling forever".
In the 38th year of Kangxi's reign, Dong Fang, the magistrate of the Bajiao Liuli Well, cast a statue of Zhenwu God on the well and built the "Iron Buddha Temple". On cloudy days, the sound of the tide can be heard under the Zhenwu Statue.
Nowadays, although the "Iron Buddha Temple" does not exist, the well water is still strong. Fangxian Distillery built a factory next to the Bajiao Liulic Well site, using the well water to make juice, using Fangxian high-quality glutinous rice as raw material, and making a small song with the secret recipe handed down from ancestors. It is a fermentation agent that is processed by traditional techniques and fermented multiple times to produce rice wine. According to the "Fangxian Chronicle" compiled in the 53rd year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, "Everyone in Fangxian County loves to drink rice wine, and it is not unusual for one person to drink more than a dozen bowls. Most people do not eat after drinking, and some drink until dawn." In the 1930s of the last century, In the 1960s, almost every house in Xiguan, Fang County, had a large earthenware jar in front of its door, covered with a clean white gauze, a wooden board, and a kiln bowl. Passers-by who were thirsty or hungry would take out a few copper plates, scoop out a bowl of rice wine, and stand there. Drinking it, it became a veritable "yellow wine street" at that time. The uniqueness of Fangxian rice wine is that its brewing is highly regional, that is, only Fangxian Xiaoqu, Fangxian glutinous rice, Fangxian stream water and groundwater can be used to brew unique wine on Fangxian land. A precious product. Fangxian rice wine is mild in nature, has a mellow and long taste, has a special fragrance, is fresh and sweet, and is not fattening to drink. It can stimulate menstruation and nourish the skin, nourish the spleen and liver, soothe muscles and activate blood circulation, refresh the mind, keep out the cold, increase appetite, and strengthen the body. It has the effect of strengthening the body and prolonging life.