A Century of Weathering Storms, a Century of Unwavering Commitment – Tongkang Winery of Taizhou achieves perfection through time!

The mountains and waters of the city form a natural brew;

Through the harmony of ferment and mother culture, Tongkang comes to life.

Across millennia of Chinese civilization, dynasties have risen and fallen,

History has ebbed and flowed.

The story of a century-old brand

Is but a speck of dust within this vast tapestry.

In Taizhou,

There exists an enterprise

That has navigated the torrents of history

Yet remains steadfast to the original aspiration it held a century ago:

To craft nothing but fine wine.

Zhejiang Tongkang Winery Co., Ltd. traces its origins to "Tongkang Sauce Garden," founded in 1914. Zhu Qinglai, also known as Jin Kang, a Ningbo native from a family long engaged in the wine and sauce business in Shanghai, gathered relatives and friends including Zheng Qingyun, Zhang Weiyun, Fang Haoran, and Wen Yanxin. Together, they raised 30,000 silver dollars to establish Tongkang Sauce Garden in Haimen. Its products quickly gained popularity across all six counties of Taizhou, earned high acclaim along the southeastern coast of Zhejiang, and were sold as far as Ningbo, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Fujian, becoming a leader in Taizhou's wine and sauce industry.

Tongkang Winery has consistently adhered to the ancient method of making fermentation starters – using medium-temperature qu. It employs high-quality wheat from the Guanzhong region as the raw material, which is manually pressed into molds and fermented in dedicated chambers, creating the unique "Tongkang Technique."

The First Century

In 1956, Tongkang Sauce Garden Winery took the initiative to undergo the socialist transformation of private industry and commerce together with five other wine and sauce enterprises – Zhou Wanshun, Tao Yuankang, Tao Yuyuan, Xin Dinghe, and Jiang Yuanshun – forming the public-private jointly managed Haimen Tongkang Brewery.

In 1966, it pioneered beer production in Taizhou, becoming one of the earliest three beer producers in Zhejiang Province. It was later renamed Zhejiang Haimen Beer Factory.

In 2001, the beer production capacity was spun off to establish Tsingtao Brewery (Taizhou) Co., Ltd. The production capacities for rice wine, baijiu, and soy sauce/vinegar were independently maintained as Taizhou Tongkang Winery.

In 2006, Tongkang Winery was restructured into Taizhou Tongkang Winery Co., Ltd.

In 2014, it was renamed Zhejiang Tongkang Winery Co., Ltd. The Tongkang Winery relocation and technical transformation project, with a total investment of 100 million yuan, was completed and put into operation, establishing an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons for rice wine, baijiu, and soy sauce/vinegar.

The Second Century

To stride confidently into Tongkang's second century, Tongkang Winery of Taizhou continuously seeks a balance between inheritance and innovation. Through breaking with the old and establishing the new, it has achieved a phoenix-like rebirth, embarking on a series of reforms and innovations.

"Replacing Labor with Machinery." Tongkang Winery constructed China's intelligent rice wine brewing production line, replacing traditional wooden steamers with modern brewing equipment. Based on the intangible cultural heritage "Tongkang Sauce-Flavored Liquor Brewing Technique," it adheres to ancient brewing methods while incorporating scientific improvements. Through the new model of traditional craftsmanship, modern equipment, intelligent control, and green craft brewing, it has realized the leap in rice wine brewing technology from "relying on experience" to "digitalization."

"Renewing Products at the Core." Tongkang Winery proactively collaborates with institutions like Taizhou University and other research organizations to develop rich, strong-flavor baijiu, low-alcohol glutinous rice wine, and fruit wines. Breaking through the industry's "glass ceiling," it produces traditional pure-grain cooking wine using ancient methods. With a youthful mindset and fashion trends, it has redesigned product packaging, forming a development structure led by baijiu, fruit wines, and rice wines, supported by rice wine and mature vinegar.

"Shifting to E-commerce Markets." Tongkang Winery established an e-commerce platform to conduct online sales, inviting internet celebrities and key opinion leaders for live-streaming sales. It accelerated the construction of flagship stores and specialty stores in key regions. It built a "Sunshine Factory," achieving digitization of the entire production process and visualization of critical control points. All product packaging carries a "Zhejiang Food Chain" traceability code for inquiry, ensuring consumers buy with clarity and drink with confidence.

"Transforming through Culture." Tongkang Winery strengthens corporate culture development. Using the Tongkang Wine Culture Museum as a platform, it offers free admission year-round to primary and secondary school students within and beyond Jiaojiang District, as well as to tourists. It has established traditional culture education bases and manual brewing skill bases in schools like the East China Normal University Affiliated Taizhou School, promoting patriotism and traditional culture education. It has become a Zhejiang Provincial AA-level industrial tourism demonstration base.

Translator：Jiayang Lin