🏯 Lüzhou Laogui Scenic Area

"The Ancestor of Strong Aroma, the Grandmaster of Liquor" —— A Living Testament to Over 1,000 Years of Chinese Baijiu Cultural Heritage

📍 Basic Information

• Full Name: Lüzhou Laogui Scenic Area (National AAAA-Level Tourist Attraction)
• Address: GuoJiao Square, Nancheng Subdistrict, Jiangyang District, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province (core area includes the historic Yinggoutou Brewing Workshop Site)
• Opening Hours: 08:30–17:00 daily (closed on Mondays, except during public holidays)
• Reservation Method: Book online via WeChat Official Account “Lüzhou Laogui Tourism” with real-name registration; free admission (some in-depth experience programs require paid reservation)
• Transportation Guide:
  • Bus: Take routes 148 or 271 and alight at “GuoJiao Square Station”;
  • Self-driving: Navigate to “Lüzhou Laogui Scenic Area”; the site features underground parking (basement level of GuoJiao Square).

⏳ Historical Evolution: Brewing Continuously for Over 450 Years Since the Ming Dynasty

At the heart of the Lüzhou Laogui Scenic Area lies the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit — the Lüzhou Daqu Ancient Cellar Complex and Brewing Workshops, whose origins date back to:

• 1573 (First Year of Wanli Era, Ming Dynasty): The Shu family established the “Shu Juyuan” distillery, excavating the first clay cellars. These have been continuously used for brewing for over 450 years, making them the oldest, longest-used, and best-preserved cellar complex in China.
• During the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty: Expanded into more than ten renowned workshops such as “Wen Yongsheng” and “Tian Chengsheng,” establishing the reputation of “Luzhou liquor surpassing all others.”
• 1959: Integrated by Lüzhou Qujiu Factory (the predecessor of today’s Lüzhou Laogui Co., Ltd.), traditional workshops were systematically preserved, safeguarding both ancient cellars and time-honored brewing techniques.
• 1996: Designated by the State Council as a Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units (No. 4-0123), becoming the first national-level protected unit in China’s baijiu industry.
• 2006: “Lüzhou Laogui Brewing Technique” was listed in the First Batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List (No. VIII-57).

✅ Key Fact: There are currently 1,619 cellars continuously in use for over 450 years, including four from the Ming Dynasty and 115 from the Qing Dynasty—all located within the scenic area’s core conservation zone: the former Yinggoutou Brewing Workshop site.

🏛️ Core Architecture and Cultural Relics

🌟 Main Entrance Zone – GuoJiao Square

• A modern cultural landmark designed with the image of a wine vessel, featuring a bronze relief wall inscribed with “Fu of Lüzhou Laogui”;
• At the square’s center stands a reconstructed model of the original Ming Dynasty cellar site and a stone monument inscribed with “China’s First Baijiu Workshop.”

🏭 Yinggoutou Brewing Workshop Site (Core Conservation Zone)

• Ming Dynasty Cellar Complex: Four original cellars (designated LZ-001 to LZ-004) remain active in production. Their cellar mud is jet-black and oily, rich in over 600 microbial species, including caproic acid bacteria and butyric acid bacteria—renowned by academia as “Microbial Gold.”
• Qing Dynasty Brewing Workshop: Preserves traditional timber-frame construction, brick walls, ceramic jar storage racks, and authentic distillation equipment (including stills and steaming pots), some components dating back to the Guangxu era.
• Longquan Well: Built during the Ming Dynasty, its water is clear, sweet, and pure, with a pH value of 7.2–7.8 and rich in silicic acid and strontium—key to Lüzhou Laogui’s signature smooth, mellow, and sweet profile. Now recognized as a Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit.

📜 Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall (GuoJiao Culture Center)

• Displays original documents such as Qing Dynasty Brewery Contracts, Wen Yongsheng Ledgers (reproduction), Republican-era “Three-Hundred-Year Daqu” labels, and a replica of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition gold medal;
• Houses hand-written manuscripts by national intangible cultural heritage inheritors Zhou Henggang and Shen Caihong, along with 237 items/sets of historical brewing tools (wooden shovels, wine scoops, water measuring jugs, etc.).

🎎 Cultural Significance: A Three-Dimensional History of Chinese Baijiu Civilization

🌟 World Records:

• The world’s longest continuously operating original brewing cellar complex;
• The longest-standing single-site living transmission of baijiu brewing craftsmanship in China;
• The only baijiu scenic area globally combining National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit + National Intangible Cultural Heritage + National Industrial Heritage under one roof.

🚶‍♂️ Visitor Experience & Signature Programs

🌟 Must-Visit Itinerary (Approx. 2.5 hours)

1. GuoJiao Square → Longquan Well → Ming Dynasty Cellar Complex → Qing Dynasty Brewing Workshop → Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall → Wine History Corridor → Intangible Cultural Heritage Interactive Zone

🍶 In-Depth Experience Programs

• [Cellar Mud Sampling & Science Education]: Under expert guidance, observe the microscopic structure of cellar mud and learn about microbial metabolism (available only for pre-booked groups);
• [Traditional Qū-Making Experience]: Participate hands-on in wheat-based qū production, experiencing the seasonal wisdom behind “Qū-making in the Dragon Boat Festival”;
• [Custom Sealing & Storage]: Purchase a ceramic jar near Ming-Qing cellars, fill it with base spirit, seal it with wax, and receive an official GuoJiao Sealing Certificate;
• [Immersive Wine Culture Theater]: “Millennium Fragrance of the Cellar” live performance blending Sichuan Opera face-changing, Luzhou River Lantern Dance, and reenactments of traditional brewing scenes.

📚 Academic & Educational Significance

• Collaborates with Sichuan University and Jiangnan University to establish the Chinese Baijiu Culture Research Institute, publishing specialized works such as Atlas of Microorganisms in Lüzhou Laogui Cellars and Compilation of Ming Dynasty Brewing Archives;
• Recognized by the Ministry of Education as a National Base for Research and Practice Education for Primary and Secondary School Students, offering three curriculum systems: “Microbial Exploration,” “Ancient Architectural Surveying,” and “Intangible Cultural Heritage Craftsmanship”;
• Receives over 12,000 university students and faculty annually from fields including archaeology, food science, and cultural heritage studies, serving as a benchmark model for baijiu-related heritage preservation.

📌 Important Tips

• 🚫 Smoking and carrying open flames are strictly prohibited in the scenic area, especially within the core brewing zones;
• 📸 Flash photography is forbidden when photographing Ming Dynasty cellars and cultural relics—please respect preservation regulations;
• 🍵 Free tasting available at designated area: 50mL per person of low-alcohol Lüzhou Laogui 1573 Classic Edition; not suitable for minors;
• 📞 Inquiry Hotline: 0830–2588888 (Lüzhou Laogui Tourism Service Center).

🌊 One drop of Lüzhou Laogui, half a history of Chinese wine.
Stepping onto GuoJiao Square, you do not merely walk on land—you tread upon the silent language of microbes spanning 450 years, the fingerprints of artisans, and the echoes of the Yangtze River’s tides.