In May, the Dabie Mountains present a landscape of surging bamboo seas and crystal-clear mountain springs. The babbling spring water originating from Baimajian, the main peak of the Dabie Mountains, filters through the roots of millions of acres of bamboo forest before converging into the Foziling Reservoir, nurturing a uniquely characteristic ecological liquor-producing region within China's white spirits industry.
From May 18th to 20th, 2026, the immersive event "Nature is the Best Master Brewer – An Immersive Journey into Yingjiagongjiu's Ecological Brewing and Mountain-Water Culture," jointly organized by Yingjiagongjiu and Sina Finance, concluded successfully in Huoshan, Anhui.
Over the course of three days and two nights, a distinguished group of guests formed the "Masters Tour." This group included Qin Shuo, a humanities and finance observer and founder of the "Qin Shuo Circle of Friends"; Wang Xiaochuan, a National Level 2 Baijiu Taster and founder of the brand "Chuange Jiuguan"; Yao Da, a musician and influential self-media creator; Xia Dongxu, a National Geographic photographer and travel expert; and Yu Chao, a member of Sina Finance's M+lady and a seasoned financial media professional. Together, they delved deep into Huoshan, the gateway to the Dabie Mountains and a world-renowned specialty liquor-producing region, to experience firsthand how excellent mountains, water, ecology, and craftsmanship combine to create a cup of fine ecological liquor.
From a Millennial Tribute Legacy to Intangible Cultural Heritage Craftsmanship: Experiencing Yingjiagongjiu's Cultural Heritage
As a significant member of China's strong-aroma Baijiu category, the brand history of Anhui Yingjiagongjiu Co.,Ltd. can be traced back over 2,100 years. Legend has it that in 106 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty toured the Huoshan area, where local people respectfully welcomed the imperial carriage and presented him with liquor. The emperor was greatly pleased after tasting it, and thus the name "Yingjiagongjiu" (meaning "Liquor to Welcome the Imperial Carriage") was born. Through millennia of inheritance, Yingjiagongjiu has gradually developed into one of the important brands in China's Baijiu industry, listing on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2015, becoming the 16th listed company in the liquor sector.
For many years, Yingjiagongjiu has consistently adhered to the integrated development of traditional brewing techniques and a modern industrial system. In 2008, the traditional brewing techniques of Yingjiagongjiu were included in the "Anhui Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage List." In 2018, the China Ecological Baijiu Research Institute was established at Yingjiagongjiu, further promoting the construction of an ecological brewing system. Today, Yingjiagongjiu has formed multiple product series, including Yingjiagongjiu Cave-Aged, Yingjiagongjiu Master Edition, and Centennial Yingjiagongjiu, and has won the "China Baijiu Body Design Award" for many consecutive years.
During the event, guests visited the Yingjiagongjiu Wine Culture Museum. Through exhibits such as the Emperor Wu of Han's Southern Tour painting, displays of Chinese wine culture, and restorations of traditional brewing scenes, they gained a deep understanding of the development journey of Yingjiagongjiu and the broader context of Chinese Baijiu culture. From historical legends to intangible heritage crafts, from traditional workshops to the modern liquor industry, what Yingjiagongjiu carries is not only the development story of a single liquor enterprise but also a microcosm of history evolving alongside Chinese wine culture.
From Dabie Mountain Landscapes to Ecological Cave Storage: Decoding Yingjiagongjiu's "Ecological Brewing" Logic
Huoshan, where Yingjiagongjiu is located, is situated in the core area of the Dabie Mountain National Ecological Function Zone, with a forest coverage rate of 76% and air negative oxygen ion content 40 to 60 times higher than the World Health Organization's standards. The mountain spring water originating from Baimajian, the main peak of the Dabie Mountains, filters through the roots of a million-acre bamboo forest, forming the locally unique "Zhugen Gua Shui" (Bamboo Root Scraped Water). This water is rich in minerals and trace elements such as metasilicic acid and strontium, forming the foundation for Yingjiagongjiu's ecological brewing.
During the event, guests visited the Qingtandong Ecological Cave Storage Base, experiencing firsthand the natural wine storage environment inside the cave with a constant temperature of 20°C and 85% humidity. They learned about the principle of "one year outside the cave equals seven days inside" for ecological aging and conducted on-site tastings of Yingjiagongjiu's cave-aged liquor. Subsequently, the guests took a boat tour of the Foziling Reservoir, known as "New China's First Dam," to appreciate the ecological landscape of this national Class I water source area.
At the Yingjiagongjiu distillery, guests observed the traditional female workers' foot-treading technique for making fermentation starters, the original liquor brewing process, and the intelligent bottling production line, gaining a close-up view of Yingjiagongjiu's exploration in integrating traditional brewing techniques with modern intelligent manufacturing.
Yingjiagongjiu still retains the traditional manual foot-treading process for making fermentation starters, using pure wheat to produce medium-temperature "Baobao" starter bricks, allowing more natural microorganisms to participate in fermentation. From starter-making, pit-opening, ingredient mixing, and distillation to pit-filling, Yingjiagongjiu's brewing process involves 69 traditional steps, forming the unique liquor body style of Yingjiagongjiu. While inheriting traditional craft, Yingjiagongjiu also continuously advances digitalization and green development, promoting the deep integration of traditional five-grain techniques with modern intelligent production lines, and exploring new pathways for green, low-carbon development in the Baijiu industry. In 2023, Yingjiagongjiu was included in the annual list of Intelligent Manufacturing Demonstration Factories for its exemplary scenarios such as "digital process design, intelligent online inspection, and precise quality traceability."
From "Selling Liquor" to "Selling an Ecological Lifestyle": Yingjiagongjiu Explores New Paths for Liquor-Tourism Integration
Beyond the Baijiu industry, Yingjiagongjiu has in recent years continued to strategically develop around four major industries: "Baijiu, Beverages, Dendrobium (Shihu), and Tourism," gradually forming a "Grand Manor" development model integrating ecological brewing, health industries, and cultural-tourism fusion.
During the event, guests visited the Huoshan Dendrobium Culture Hall and the Huoshan Dendrobium Herb Garden, gaining an in-depth understanding of the historical origins and health-preserving culture of Huoshan Dendrobium, known as the "First of the Nine Immortal Herbs of China." As one of the characteristic resources of the Dabie Mountains, Huoshan Dendrobium was once called "worth its weight in gold" due to the scarcity of wild resources. In recent years, Yingjiagongjiu has continuously promoted the industrialization of Dendrobium, launching various categories such as Dendrobium crystal powder, Dendrobium beverages, and Dendrobium liquor, gradually forming an industrial ecosystem integrating "Baijiu + Health."
Cultural and tourism spaces such as Shuifeng Pagoda, Chunfeng Street, Shude Hall, and the Yingjiagongjiu Art Gallery further demonstrate Yingjiagongjiu's active explorations in rural revitalization and liquor-tourism integration. From the Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting and Liuwanqingxia Gorge to the Chunfeng Fine Liquor Town and commercial districts, Yingjiagongjiu is attempting to elevate the traditional liquor industry from "selling a product" to "selling an ecological lifestyle called Dabie Mountains."
Today, tourists come to Huoshan for its landscapes and, through immersive experiences, also encounter the industrial ecosystem of Yingjiagongjiu liquor, Yingjiagongjiu mountain spring water, and Huoshan Dendrobium. In 2025, the Yingjiagongjiu Grand Manor was successfully selected for the China Alcoholic Drinks Circulation Association's "List of 30 Recommended Liquor-Tourism Integration Destinations."
Conclusion
From a millennial tribute legacy to an ecological brewing system, and from the landscapes of the Dabie Mountains to explorations in liquor-tourism integration, this three-day, two-night immersive journey not only allowed guests to more intuitively grasp the logic behind Yingjiagongjiu's "excellent mountains, water, ecology, and craftsmanship" but also showcased new explorations by China's Baijiu industry in expressing ecological value, cultural value, and lifestyle. Using the landscape as its canvas and ecology as its foundation, Yingjiagongjiu is attempting to tell a new story about the future development of Chinese Baijiu.
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