Posted 2017/1/10
Du Kang was regarded as the forefather of wine production in China. So the Chinese people of later generations usually call wines “Du Kang”.
It is said that Du Kang was also called Shaokang and lived in the Xia Dynasty about 3900 years ago. He lived on graze when he was young, and often forgot to have meals which he brought and hung on the tree. Later, he found that the taste of meal he left on the tree had changed, and the juices were especially luscious. This interested him and made him think and study again and again. Finally, he learned the principle of natural fermentation and tried to improve his method. At last, a complete method of wine production was invented. Although this is only a legend, Du Kang was still regarded by later people as the forefather of wine production in China. Furthermore, wines are named “Du Kang Wine” by some people.
Stories of “Du Kang Getting Eight Immortals Drunk” and “Du Kang Getting Liu Ling Drunk” all are famous stories about the wine. Cao Cao, a famous king during the Three Kingdoms period, wrote in his Short Song that “What can eliminate my melancholy? Only Du Kang” It is said the winebibber Li Bai, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, once made a special trip to Yichuan to look for the trace left by Du Kang. Numerous heroes were once infatuated with Du Kang wines.
According to a legend, the site of the wine production by Du Kang is the Du Kang Channel seven kilometers northwest of the city zone of Baishui County, Shanxi Province. Baishui County is also the hometown of Cang Jie and Cai Lun. It is said that Du Kang was buried beside his wine production site, and that his tomb exists still. In addition, it is also said that a Du Kang Temple was built behind his tomb, where a stele was set to commemorate and praise the forefather of production of Du Kang wine.
