Across mountains and seas, the fragrance of liquor carries its charm.
From 16 to 27 September 2026, the 2026 "Reviving Craft — Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Design" exhibition ("Reviving Craft"), organised by Sun Media Group, will be held at Somerset House in London, UK. Under the theme "Reflection of the Mind", the exhibition builds a bridge for spiritual dialogue between East and West. As a leading representative of China's strong-aroma baijiu, Jiannanchun will present its national intangible cultural heritage brewing technique alongside a range of flagship products in the "Nourish the Mind" section, using a fragrance spanning a thousand years as a bond to showcase the profound heritage and contemporary vitality of traditional Chinese brewing culture to an overseas audience.
As one of the first brewing techniques included on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Jiannanchun's traditional brewing technique carries forward the essence distilled from over a thousand years of liquor-making history in Mianzhu, forming an important part of Ba-Shu culture. The technique relies on solid-state, low-temperature fermentation in mud pits, with premium grains as raw material and medium-to-high-temperature fermentation starter as the catalyst. The liquor is produced through time-honoured processes including layered addition of fermented grains, mixed steaming and distillation, selective extraction by quality, storage at original strength, and meticulous blending. From winning the title of "National Famous Liquor" three times in succession from 1979, to becoming the first Chinese baijiu producer to receive the "Certification Mark for Pure-Grain Solid-State Fermented Baijiu" in 2005, to being recognised as one of the first "China Time-Honoured Brands" in 2006, and then being inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2008, Jiannanchun has preserved the roots of traditional brewing through generations of inheritance. Its "Tianyi Laohao" distillery has been designated a National Priority Protected Site and a National Industrial Heritage Site, earning it recognition in the industry as a "living cultural relic" in the history of liquor-making.
At this year's London exhibition, "Jiannanchun Sanxingdui: In Search of Shu", created in partnership with Sanxingdui Museum, is the highlight of the event. The co-branded new release will make its global public debut and official launch at the exhibition. The set comprises five 125ml mini bottles, each drawing on the cultural essence of a Sanxingdui artefact: the sun-shaped object, the bronze bell, the pottery pig, the mask with protruding eyes, and the bronze kneeling figure with a twisted body. Set against a bronze-green base with gilded motifs, the design weaves the humanistic spirit of the ancient Shu civilisation from three thousand years ago — moving towards the light, staying connected, cherishing the warmth of everyday life, exploring the unknown, and showing reverence for all things — into contemporary liquor vessel design, allowing the present to be reflected across time. Through these objects, overseas audiences will be able to sense the distinctive charm and profound heritage of the ancient Shu bronze civilisation, helping this age-old Ba-Shu culture find fresh vitality abroad.
Alongside this flagship new release, the exhibition area also brings together several outstanding works from the Jiannanchun · Bronze Age series. "Buried for thousands of years, the gold mask impresses the world after being discovered" is a collection of premium cultural pieces jointly created by Jiannanchun and Sanxingdui Museum. The three products in this series, "Jiannanchun · Sanxingdui Bronze Age Standing Figure", "Jiannanchun · Bronze Age (Mask Edition)" and "Jiannanchun · Bronze Age", were launched respectively to mark the opening of Sanxingdui Museum's new building, its 30th anniversary, and the 100th anniversary of the birth of modern Chinese archaeology. The Standing Figure keeps watch over antiquity, its gold-foil face conveying an awe-inspiring majesty; the mysterious and powerful bronze treasures echo the liquor's millennium-old character, its mellow fragrance speaking of the depth and splendour of Chinese civilisation, combining profound commemorative meaning with rare collectible value.
Also on display is "Jiannanchun · Gilded Age", a co-branded creation developed with Shaanxi History Museum and inspired by the Tang-dynasty imperial "Gold Bowl with Mandarin Duck and Lotus Pattern". The bottle adopts a three-part detachable structure, distilling the decorative essence of the gold bowl's paired mandarin ducks and surrounding lotus petals to embody the Eastern philosophy of "harmony, unity and coexistence". The outer box takes its form from the classic Tang-dynasty openwork silver sachet, its distinctive shape echoing the design concept of "turning structured forms into a perfect circle, reflecting all things in brilliance", paying tribute to a thousand years of Chinese cultural heritage through a cup of fine liquor.
From the ancient cellars of Ba-Shu to the exhibition halls of London, Jiannanchun uses liquor as a medium to bring together national intangible cultural heritage brewing techniques, the ancient Shu civilisation and the culture of the flourishing Tang dynasty, embodying the living inheritance and contemporary renewal of traditional Chinese craftsmanship. Through a single cup of Chinese liquor, overseas audiences can come to appreciate the breadth and depth of Chinese civilisation, helping to bring China's intangible cultural heritage onto a broader international stage.
© Affaires Officielles