Chinese archaeologists have discovered
pottery wine vessels at the ruins of Erlitou Culture which dates back to over 4,000
years ago. It proves that the Chinese people began to think wine at that time.
There are many stories about wine in Chinese history. Tao Yuanming, a poet in Jin
Dynasty, could not live without wine for a day. The great poet Li Bai in Tang Dynasty
could write hundred poems after drinking wine - the more wine he drank, the better
the poem would be.
China is a country of amenity, attaching the importance to rules to everything.
Taking drinking for an example, there are so many interesting things. For example,
at a banquet, if someone wants to express his/her respect to their elders or superiors,
he/she will toast. Before drinking the wine, they will touch their cups to show
their affection. When they begin to drink, the younger's cup will be lower than
the superior's to show respectng. The person who toasts on his/her own will empty
one cup of wine at one go to show sincerities. It's a jolly time when the Chinese
drink wine. On this occasions, everyone will be in a friendly mood. Sometimes rules
for drinking will be set in a game when people drink in order to increase the liveliness.
There are various kinds of rules for drinking, one of which is unchangeable, that
is, for the people participating in the games, the loser will drink. In ancient
times, among the intellectuals, the rules for drinking were generally to supply
the antithesis to a given poem or phrase.
China has many famous brands of wine such as Maotai, Five-Grain Liquor, Fen Liquor,
Bamboo-leaf Green Tribute Wine and so on, which enjoy a worldwide reputation.
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