A bird's-eye view of Yisheng Culture Park in Changle town. [Photo/WeChat account: ntwgx6]

A distillery in Changle town, Haimen district, Nantong, Jiangsu province, that has weathered more than a century of change continues to produce its signature brew.

The Yisheng Winery, founded in 1894 by Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a late-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) scholar and one of China's most prominent industrialists, traces its roots back over 130 years. In 2011, the traditional brewing techniques of Yisheng Wine were inscribed on Jiangsu's list of intangible cultural heritage.

In the late 19th century, Zhang founded the country's first land reclamation company to secure raw materials for his textile mills. The land yielded high-quality barley and sorghum, ideal grains for distilling. In 1903, he established Yisheng Brewing within the reclamation zone; two years later, the operation relocated to Changle town, where it remains to this day.

After years of refinement, the winery developed a distinctive production process. The wine is crafted from a blend of sorghum, rice, wheat, glutinous rice and corn, fermented with a medium-high-temperature starter culture and aged naturally for three years.

A proprietary formula then infuses the aged liquor with herbal extracts, including saffron, capillaris, mint, and bergamot, resulting in an amber, translucent spirit with a smooth, mellow character. Traditionally, it has also been valued for its digestive and restorative properties.

In 1906, Yisheng Yinchen Wine took home a gold medal at the Milan International Exposition in Italy, the first international gold award ever won by a Chinese liquor at a world exposition.

The craft has been passed down through generations of distillers via oral instruction and hands-on apprenticeship. Today, visitors to the Yisheng Culture Park, which was renovated from the Yisheng Winery, can observe the traditional brewing workshop and even try their hand at the craft.

"A pot of Yisheng wine holds half of modern Chinese history," as the local saying goes. Stepping into the Yisheng Culture Park, visitors can soak in the rich aroma of aged liquor while tracing the legacy of a visionary industrialist and experiencing the enduring allure of a century-old living tradition.