Dukang wine is a famous wine in history. It is named after Dukang when it was first made. It has always been a tribute wine for the royal court. The poets and literati of the past dynasties left many good sayings about Dukang wine.
The most famous one is Cao Cao's sentence in "Dan Ge Xing": "Generosity should be used to make worries unforgettable; how to relieve worries? Only Du Kang."
The poet Du Fu also has Description: "Du Kang tried hard to persuade, but Zhang Li just asked for help." Su Shi, a literary giant of the generation, left a message after he was drunk: "Now that Dongpo is treasured, there will be no sacrifice to Du Kang." Ruan Ji, one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest", "does not enjoy being an official, but values ??Du Kang."
In history, there is little controversy about Du Kang’s status as the “Sage of Wine”. However, there are some disagreements about what era Du Kang was from and where he came from. Even in modern times, there are Dukang in Shaanxi and Dukang in Henan. The Dukang dispute also triggered a lawsuit between two places regarding the Dukang wine trademark.
The "Shuowen Jiezi" written in the Han Dynasty says: "Du Kang began to make rice wine. Also known as Shaokang, the king of the Xia Dynasty and a Taoist celebrity." It seems that Du Kang was the king of the Xia Dynasty, but now The Xia Dynasty itself is in controversy. It is difficult to say whether there was such a dynasty. It is also difficult to say whether this record is true. Of course, this is also said in "Historical Records". If there is no other solid evidence, I still believe this statement. As for the legend that Du Kang made wine and drunk Liu Ling, it is simply not credible. Liu Ling was from the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and Dukang wine had been around for a long time before that.
What era this Du Kang was from is not very controversial, at least it is not later than Cao Cao's era. However, there is a dispute about where Du Kang was from. The dispute is mainly between three parties, one is Baishui County in Shaanxi, the other is Yucheng County in Shangqiu, Henan, and even Ruzhou City in Pingdingshan, Henan. Presumably this question is difficult for most people to figure out, and it may also be a historical mystery.
In the "Baishui County Chronicle" revised in the 19th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, there is a detailed record of Du Kang. It is believed that Du Kang was a native of Baishui County, and the wine making took place in Baishui. Baishui County is "the city of Yongzhou in ancient times, with Peng Opera on weekends and Peng Yamen in spring and autumn", "Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty built Suyi Yamen County", "Tang Dynasty built Baishui County and now governs it", which can be said to have a long history. Baishui is famous for the ruins of the so-called "Four Great Sages" including Dukang. Dukang's tomb is also in Baishui County.
In the 1991 edition of "Yucheng County Chronicles", there is a record about Dukang's wine-making, and it is believed that Dukang's wine-making took place here: "Yucheng has always been 'the dregs and mills are connected, and you can dismount when you smell the fragrance' "Yucheng County has a long history of brewing. Dukang, the originator of brewing, invented wine here 4,000 years ago." There are also brewing relics such as Dukang Temple in the local area. Because this county chronicle was compiled in modern times and may have been compiled for some reasons, its credibility is not very high.
The "Zhili Ruzhou Complete Records" during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty records: "Dukang is the Dukang Village where he was born. The village is surrounded by three mountains and has a stream flowing beside it. The water in the Dukang River in the south of the village is gurgling and crystal clear. , including a section of Jiuquan Valley, with hundreds of springs gushing out, clear blue water, lush trees on the banks, and pleasant scenery. "This Ruzhou belongs to Pingdingshan. This description of Du Kang in "The Complete Records of Ruzhou, Zhili" seems to be a modern one. Edited.
Because Du Kang was originally an ancient from a distant era, there were no textual research materials from that time, and some of the books and materials recording Du Kang were often based on folk stories. Therefore, it is believed that the place where Dukang actually made wine cannot be verified.