Guilin's Xiangshan Wine Cellar opens for new year celebrations

The iconic Xiangshan Wine Cellar in Guilin in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region opened its doors on Feb 8 to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb 17.

Rooted in the local custom of brewing New Year wine, this tradition has become a cherished annual event in Guilin since the 1980s. Open to the public for only one week each year, the cellar preserves the unique taste of this celebrated spirit.

This year, as it is the Year of Horse, festivities began at 10 am with a series of cultural performances. These included erhu and flute renditions of "Horse Racing", traditional rituals honoring the gods of earth and wine, Sichuan Opera, and a lion dance at the foot of Elephant Trunk Hill.

Visitors eagerly lined up to enter the wine cellar, where the scent of Guilin Sanhua liquor permeated the air. Among them was An Zhong from Wuhai in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, who has lived in Guilin for two years. He praised the smooth, mellow flavor of Sanhua liquor, which reminded him of his hometown's Erguotou.

Sanhua liquor, with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is recognized as a representative of China's rice-flavored baijiu and is listed as an intangible cultural heritage in Guangxi. Beyond drinking, it is a favored ingredient in local dishes and medicinal wines.

Local resident Zhang Bin, 70, returned with his own container to purchase several dozen pounds of the premium Sanhua liquor, a personal tradition spanning more than 30 years.