6 | DISCOVER SHANXI Friday, January 22, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY Capital of vinegar honored by pair of national organizations

By YUAN SHENGGAO county, Baoyuan Matured Vinegar Factory in Yangfang village is Qingxu county in central Shanxi among the oldest. Locals say the province has been recognized as company is the perfect place for “the capital of vinegar in China”, people who want to develop a deep the county government said on understanding of the industry’s Jan 8. history in Shanxi. According to a document Baoyuan had been a top­quality released by the China National vinegar producer since the Ming Light Industry Council and the Dynasty (1368­1644) and its prod­ National Food Management Cen­ ucts were supplied to the royal ter of China Light Industry, Qing­ kitchens of the Ming and Qing xu is so named for its long history (1644­1911) dynasties. and high­quality vinegar produc­ Nowadays, the old factory site is tion. a museum that shows the history Liu Zixia, vice­mayor of Qingxu, of vinegar production in Qingxu. It said at the Jan 8 news conference does not produce vinegar for the that Qingxu is the largest produc­ market anymore. tion base of vinegar products in In the museum are old vinegar­ the nation. It has 45 certified vine­ making equipment and docu­ gar producers, which collectively ments recording the ancient produce 700,000 metric tons of production techniques. Stork Tower is a landmark attraction in Yongyi city because of a much cited poem written by poet Wang Zhihuan. HU ZENGCHUN / FOR CHINA DAILY edible vinegar each year. This One of them, a Northern Wei accounts for about 80 percent of Dynasty (386­534) book called Shanxi’s and nearly 30 percent of Qimin Yaoshu, said there were 22 spectacular views provided by the China’s total vinegar output. methods in vinegar making in tower. She added that the county is Qingxu. It says Qingxu began its The original building stood for home to two nationally and 14 pro­ commercialized vinegar produc­ Iconic Stork Tower a almost 700 years, until it was vincially well­known trademarks tion in the Western Han Dynasty destroyed by the invading Mongoli­ in the edible vinegar industry. (206 BC­AD 24). ans led by Genghis Khan in 1222. Local enterprises have developed A variety of the current vinegar The other three of the top­four more than 200 product varieties products are on display in the ancient towers suffered the same that are being sold across China museum, giving visitors an oppor­ fate. All were destroyed in the previ­ and in more than 20 foreign coun­ tunity to taste the authentic vine­ historic inspiration ous centuries. tries. The vinegar industry gener­ gar of Qingxu. Following the reconstruction of ated a combined revenue of 7 “I thought vinegar should be History buffs flock to giant structure to take in breathtaking views the Yueyang and Yellow Crane tow­ billion yuan ($1.08 billion) last sour in taste,” a visitor said. “Now, I ers as well as Tengwang Pavilion, year. recognize the richness of the taste locals in Yongji and Shanxi strongly Liu said Shanxi’s and the of Qingxu vinegar was beyond my Stork Tower, also known as Guan­ of homesickness as there might be appealed for the rebuilding of Stork nation’s vinegar industry originat­ expectations.” quelou in Chinese, is widely recog­ small hope of returning home. This Tower. ed in Qingxu, with a history of Although the Baoyuan factory nized as one of the nation’s top four was the emotion expressed by poet The new tower, completed in about 2,500 years. site has been transformed into a ancient towers along with Yellow Wang Can in the late Eastern Han 2002, is a nine­story building with a “Qingxu is especially renowned museum, its products continue to Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei prov­ Dynasty (25­220) and early Three height of 73.9 meters, making it an for its matured vinegar. The centu­ be made. ince; Tengwang Pavilion in Nan­ Kingdoms Period (220­280). imposing landmark along the Yel­ ries­old techniques for vinegar The company evolved into Shui­ chang, Jiangxi province; and “But in a period like the early and low River. making, which involve steaming, ta Vinegar, owner of one of the two Yueyang Tower in Yueyang, Hunan middle Tang Dynasty, when people According to Li Guishun, a man­ fermenting, smoking and matur­ nationally renowned trademarks By YUAN SHENGGAO province. were confident and inclusive, ager in charge of the reconstruction ing, were included on the national in Qingxu. The company is still Historical records show this tow­ ascending a tall building gave peo­ project, the new Stork Tower is the list of intangible cultural heritage making vinegar products with There have been few poets in Chi­ er by the Yellow River was first built ple a sense of loftiness and transcen­ largest Tang­style structure in the in 2006,” she said. ancient techniques in the county. na that have become famous from during the Northern Zhou Dynasty dence,” Huang said. country. Among the many vinegar­pro­ just one or two pieces of work. (557­581) but collapsed during the According to a tour guide at the In addition, Tang Dynasty murals, ducing enterprises throughout the Li Yali contributed to this story. Tang Dynasty (618­907) poet Jin Dynasty (1115­1234). Stork Tower scenic area, the tower which were collected from elsewhere Wang Zhihuan, is one of them. Reconstruction of the tower was originally built by Yuwen Hu, a in Shanxi and restored by experts He was not a productive poet, as began in December 1997 and it general of the Northern Zhou from the National Cultural Heritage only six of his poems were recorded opened to the public in September Dynasty, as a watchtower for the Administration, have been put on the in the Complete Collection of Tang 2002. purpose of defense. interior walls of the tower. Dynasty Poems. However, he Huang Xuxiang, a tourist from During the following Sui (581­ “A tour of the tower is a trip back became a household name because Shaanxi province, visited the tower 618) and Tang dynasties, the tower into the millennium­long history of of his much cited work, Ascending in early January. was no longer used as a military the nation, where you can exchange Stork Tower: He said he was very eager to climb facility. Instead, it became a habitat with the great personalities of The setting sun beyond the moun­ the tower because he wanted to see for storks and other birds and ancient China like Wang Zhihuan,” tains glows, the setting sun above the Yellow Riv­ earned its name for that reason. Huang Xuxiang posted on his The Yellow River seaward flows. er and experience the same emo­ Historical records show the origi­ WeChat account. “And you are also One can enjoy a grander sight, tions as the poet. nal tower was 20 to 30 meters tall. in a process of sublimation with the By climbing onto a greater height. “Ascending a tall building gives However, as the highest point on boundless sights of the Yellow River Wang was a native of North Chi­ various experiences and emotions the plain along the Yongji section of and North China Plain before your na’s Shanxi province, and this poem to the climbers at different periods the Yellow River, it became an eyes, and the infinite flow of history With over 10,000 vinegar jars at its factory, Shuita is a renowned helped Stork Tower in the Shanxi of time,” Huang said. attraction favored by many poets in the mind.” producer for its high­quality vinegar made using traditional city of Yongji become a renowned “In a period of conflicts and wars, and writers, who dedicated their techniques. ZHAO YANTING / FOR CHINA DAILY attraction. ascending a tower gave one a feeling poems and prose to praising the Li Yali contributed to this story.

of new infrastructure, new technol­ Technology focus gives ogies, new materials, new equip­ ment, new products and new industries. Building company shows its Xinyuan Coal Mine, a subsidiary Shanxi firms the edge of Yangquan­based Huayang Group, for instance, is now increasing mettle to complete project By YUAN SHENGGAO Over the past eight years, its investment in its new infrastructure research and development team has facilities for coal mining. Chinese companies are making developed 28 product varieties to The coal mine’s production sites inroads into global markets thanks meet demands in both domestic are now connected to 5G networks. to the country’s continued reform and international markets. “The connection allows us to and opening­up. Among them is In China, Li said its new products, monitor and control mining proc­ Shanxi­based Jinneng Holding as a substitute for imports, can help esses in shafts as deep as 500 meters Equipment Manufacturing Group, clients reduce costs by about 40 per­ below the ground, helping to which has secured orders from the cent. increase efficiency and improve European Union for its round­link “We have applied our independ­ safety substantially,” said Cui chain products. ently developed technologies to the Maosheng, a technician at Xinyuan. “Our round­link chain products whole process from heat treatment “In the past, all monitoring was car­ have earned the EU­wide stan­ to welding,” Li said, adding that the ried out by workers, who needed to The second phase of the polycrystalline silicon production base under construction in Leshan, Sich­ dards certificates by authoritative company will continue its efforts to walk 5­8 kilometers a day in the uan province, is built by Shanxi Construction Investment Group. YANG YANCHAO / FOR CHINA DAILY certification organizations in the develop more localized products for shafts. And now all monitoring can EU, paving the way to reach broad­ coal mining. be done with 5G­connected robots.” er overseas markets,” said Li Feng, Because of its continuously More projects related to the “six By YUAN SHENGGAO high­purity polycrystalline silicon support structure for safety. a senior executive of Jinneng. increasing investment in R&D, Jin­ new areas” have settled in Shanxi, a year. “We talked with the client and Round­link chain is a crucial com­ neng is currently China’s second­ creating new growth. A polycrystalline silicon produc­ “We arrived in Leshan in August revised the foundation design. This ponent in coal­mining conveyors. largest and the world’s third­largest These include a smart manufac­ tion base is near completion in last year,” said Zhang Yu, a SCIG helped to save 150,000 yuan Due to the high requirement for company in coal mining and coal­ turing base invested in by Great Leshan, Sichuan province, and is manager in charge of the project’s ($23,200) for the client and short­ heat treatment technology for tensi­ mining machinery. The company Wall Computer in Taiyuan, which expected to give the city a reputa­ construction. “This is not a big ened the period of work.” ty, the higher end of the market in owns more than 460 technologies became operational in July last year, tion of being a green Silicon Valley project for us. However, we greatly In addition to an innovative spir­ China has been dominated by over­ with self­developed intellectual and an energy information technol­ in China. value it because we want to make it it, Zhang said the team from seas manufacturers for many years. property rights. ogy base that was put into operation Polycrystalline silicon is a crucial a demonstrative project to show our Shanxi had shown a strong will to To break the monopoly, Jinneng Jinneng is only one example of in Datong in last October. part of photovoltaic materials, strength and help us enter the local overcome difficulties. began researching high­tensity Shanxi’s recent efforts in technologi­ which are widely used in solar pow­ market.” After two months of continuous round­link chains in 2013. cal innovation covering the six areas Guo Yanjie contributed to this story. er stations. The manager said it wants the rain, Leshan was hit by the most Local officials in Leshan said client to know that SCIG is an severe flood in a century back in this base is expected to produce innovative contractor and can August. 160,000 metric tons of polycrystal­ create added value for clients with “For a building company from line silicon annually, representing its own solutions and standards. the north, the extreme rain and the one of the largest outputs in Chi­ “We work with design drawings flooding are something we haven’t na. provided by the client, but are not experienced before,” Zhang said. Shanxi Construction Investment confined by the drawings,” Zhang Despite the difficulty, the SCIG Group, a civil engineering compa­ said. team completed its mission ny from Taiyuan in North China’s One of SCIG’s missions was to according to schedule. Shanxi province, is one of the con­ build a company dormitory near a “I was really touched by the tractors to the project. gymnasium. determination and perseverance of SCIG was commissioned to “The dorm was only 6 meters our colleagues in the face of adver­ build the second­phase project for away from the gym and the origi­ sity,” Zhang said. From left: Technicians at a new­energy battery company in Datong check product components inside a technological upgrading. Upon nal design required open­pit exca­ lab. LIU TONG / FOR CHINA DAILY High­tensity round­link chains roll off the production line at a plant of completion, the facility will be vation for laying foundations. The Guo Yanjie Jinneng Holding Equipment Manufacturing Group. CUI YANAN / FOR CHINA DAILY able to produce 45,000 tons of distance meant we needed more contributed to this story.

This page is sponsored by the Shanxi provincial government.