Hualushao, a specialty liquor from Nantong, Jiangsu province, is crafted using local polished round-grained rice. After steaming, it is mixed with wine yeast and distilled alcohol, undergoing fermentation to create a unique libation.

The production of Hualushao is a meticulous process that involves 13 steps and takes three years to complete. In 2014, the brewing technique for Nantong Hualushao was recognized among the third group of representative projects in the traditional craft category on Nantong's municipal intangible cultural heritage list.

Hualushao can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when Ling Hanzhang, a resident of Tangzha town, made a living by producing rice wine and Hualushao, which gained local fame for its rich aroma. His son, Ling Weimin, continued the family tradition and, with nearly eight decades of experience in brewing rice wine and Hualushao, passed down the traditional craft to his descendants.

Yang Zhenqiang, a municipal-level inheritor of Hualushao, learned the craft from his grandfather Lin. While preserving the traditional techniques of Hualushao production, he has also made improvements, creating an innovative type that is more enjoyable to drink.

In recent years, Yang has even innovatively combined local black glutinous rice with black rice from Shaanxi, creating a new type of Hualushao with enhanced nutritional value.

Yang Zhenqiang makes the Hualushao. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]