Notable figures

Li Bai

Li Bai (701-762 AD), with courtesy name Taibai and artistic name Qinglian Jushi, is revered as the greatest romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty. Li Bai, tracing his lineage back to Chengji of Longxi (near present-day Tianshui in Gansu Province), had ancestors who journeyed to Central Asia. In the early period of the Tang Dynasty, Li Bai's parents moved from Suiye City (now located in Kyrgyzstan) to Qinglian Township in Changlong of Mianzhou (present-day Jiangyou, Sichuan). This central Shu region later became Li Bai's birthplace. In his early twenties, Li Bai embarked on a journey to visit renowned mountains such as Mount Emei and Qingcheng. Around the ages of twenty-five to twenty-six, he set out from Sichuan on a grand tour, which spanned over a decade and took him across vast stretches of China.

Li Bai is celebrated in history as the Banished Immortal (a moniker suggesting his otherworldly talent) and the Poetic Genius. His unrestrained passion for liquor also earned him the endearing title Wine Immortal. Li Bai proudly declared himself "Qinglian Jushi, the banished immortal; for thirty springs, his name was lost in taverns" ("Replying to Huzhou Minister of War Jiaye's Inquiry About Who I Am", 答湖州迦叶司马问白是何人, Da huzhou jiaye sima wen bai shi heren) This self-portrait highlights how his life and poetry were intertwined with the world of alcohol. Like many poetic greats, Li Bai saw alcohol not just as a drink but as a catalyst for his poetic imagination and a conduit for his lyrical expressions. His life and work epitomize the unique blend of poetry and liquor in traditional Chinese literature. In the realm of ancient Chinese poetry, alcoholic drinks played a multifaceted and distinctive role. They acted as a catalyst for "truth", enabling poets to express their deepest, most authentic emotions freely and naturally. They had the power to induce a state of "madness", liberating the mind to create aesthetically rich, ecstatic verses. They could also conjure "illusions", providing poets with a vast and vibrant array of magical, mystical imagery. Li Bai's celebrated poem "Invitation to Wine" (将进酒 Qiang jin jiu), crafted in a state of inebriation, stands as a testament to the direct impact of Sichuan's drinking culture on his poetic creativity.

Sanxingdui Ruins Site: The Sanxingdui archaeological site is located along the southern banks of the Yazi River in the northwestern part of Guanghan City, Sichuan, and spans 12 square kilometers. This site, dating back 3,000 to 5,000 years, covers a period from the late Neolithic Age through the early Zhou Dynasty, encompassing the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.

Jingsha Site: The Jinsha site, uncovered in February 2001 within the city limits of Chengdu, spans approximately five square kilometers. It was the urban center of the ancient Shu Kingdom, a pivotal civilization in the upper Yangtze River region, dating from the 12th to the 7th century BC (around 3,200 to 2,600 years ago).

Bifengxia Giant Panda Base: The Giant Panda Base, nestled in the picturesque Bifengxia scenic area of Ya'an, Sichuan, is a large-scale comprehensive tourism complex. It is dedicated to the breeding and research programs of giant pandas, their re-introduction into the wild, educational outreach, and eco-tourism, making it China's largest panda conservation facility by land area.

Du Fu

Du Fu (712-770 AD), with the courtesy name Zimei, hailed from Gongxian County in Henan. He is revered as the greatest Realist poet of the Tang Dynasty. During his career, Du Fu held a position as a military advisor and assistant inspector in the Ministry of Works under Yan Wu, the military commissioner of Jiannan, which led to his popular appellation "Du Gongbu" (Minister Du). Du Fu is esteemed as the Sage of Poetry in Chinese literary history. Alongside Li Bai, known as the Poetic Genius, they are jointly acclaimed as "Li-Du", symbolizing their unparalleled influence and complementary styles in Tang Dynasty poetry. Their works are considered the zenith of Chinese poetry, with Li Bai epitomizing the height of romanticism and Du Fu exemplifying the acme of realism.

Du Fu had a deep and varied connection with Sichuan and its alcohol culture. During the tumultuous winter of 759 AD, the second year of the Qianyuan era under Emperor Suzong's reign in the Tang Dynasty, Du Fu relocated his family to Chengdu, driven by escaping the ravages of a severe famine. There, he found solace and support from friends, including Yan Wu, Gao Shi, and Pei Mian. With their help, Du Fu built a modest residence along the banks of the Huanhua Stream in Chengdu in the following spring, which is the renowned "Du Fu Thatched Cottage". After years of tribulations, Du Fu and his family at last found a measure of respite and stability within the confines of the thatched cottage. During his four and a half years in the central Shu region, Du Fu made the thatched cottage his sanctuary and primary residence. He also explored other areas in Sichuan, including Zizhou (now Santai) and Langzhou (now Langzhong). 

The four and a half years spent in Sichuan marked a pinnacle of creativity for Du Fu. Specifically, out of his over 1400 poems that have been handed down through the ages, a notable 271 were penned in Sichuan. In Du Fu's life, poetry and alcohol were inextricably linked. This fusion is evident from its frequent depiction in the works of many scholars, literati and artists. Du Fu himself directly expressed a profound appreciation for the region's fine drinks in the numerous poems that he had composed while in Sichuan.

Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun

Sima Xiangru (c.179 -117 BC), with the courtesy name Changqing, was a renowned litterateur from Shu Commandery (now Chengdu, Sichuan) during the Western Han Dynasty. He was celebrated for his prowess in the fu (rhapsody) genre. The tale of Sima Xiangru and his wife Zhuo Wenjun, who famously opened a tavern together, is celebrated in China, known in virtually every household. As the story goes, Sima Xiangru was once invited by Wang Ji, the magistrate of Linqiong County (an area now part of Qionglai City, Chengdu), to perform on the guqin at the residence of the affluent Zhuo Wangsun. It was during this occasion that he fortuitously met Zhuo Wenjun, Zhuo Wangsun's daughter. Zhuo Wenjun, celebrated for her beauty and talent, particularly excelled in music. Her betrothed passed away before they could formalize their union, casting her into a distinctive position: a new bride-to-be from a prominent family. Xiangru was smitten with Wenjun upon their first encounter. He expressed his affection by serenading her with the melody "Phoenix Seeking His Mate" on the prestigious "Lü Qi" guqin, a gift from Prince Xiao of Liang. Wenjun glimpsed Xiangru through the window, and her heart was captivated yet concerned about her father's disapproval. Driven by her affection, she daringly eloped with Xiangru to Chengdu under the cloak of night. At that time, Xiangru's poverty was such that his home was utterly bare, a stark contrast to Wenjun's former affluent life. Shortly thereafter, he and Wenjun journeyed back to Linqiong together. Xiangru sold their carriages and horses to buy a tavern. He then had Wenjun tend the bar, serving wine to customers. He, too, donned an apron and joined the hired help, performing various menial tasks and washing utensils in the marketplace. Subsequently, Zhuo Wangsun, in an effort to preserve his dignity, provided Xiangru and Wenjun with a retinue of a hundred attendants and a substantial fortune. Utilizing these resources, they purchased land and established a residence, enjoying a peaceful life ever after.

The story of Wenjun managing the tavern and Xiangru's manual labor in washing utensils became a celebrated tale among the literati and the elite during the Han Dynasty, especially in the Wei and Jin periods and even in the Sui and Tang dynasties. They regarded the act of tending the bar with honor and eagerly sought to emulate it. Consequently, many intellectuals from the Shu region were motivated to engage in tavern business and selling drinks, aspiring to the humble and romantic spirit of Xiangru. Numerous dignitaries and nobles, defying the imperial ban on alcohol, sequentially arranged for their concubines to lease premises where they could manage bars and vend wine, as documented in Chen Hui's "Rhapsody on Tang Niang" (螳娘赋 Tang niang fu) within Tang Dynasty text Miscellaneous Notes from Dreams of the North (北梦琐言 Bei meng suo yan), Vol.3. Li Bai, inspired by the narrative of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun "tending the tavern and selling wine, yet harboring lament in twilight years", composed a poem in the yuefu style of the Han Dynasty, titled "Song of Grey Hair". The classic story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun is the quintessential origin of the romantic archetype of the "gifted scholar and graceful beauty" in Chinese literature.