Changyu (Zhangyu Winery)

In 1892, the overseas-Chinese tycoon Zhang Bishi saw that the climate and soil around Yantai suited viticulture and invested three million silver taels to found the Changyu Wine Company — the name blending his surname Zhang with the character for prosperity. It was China's first modern winery, importing over a hundred grape varieties and equipment from Europe and hiring foreign winemakers to launch industrial wine-making in China.

Changyu's name is known across the country; in 1912 Sun Yat-sen wrote the inscription "Pinning in quality, sweet as a spring" in its praise. Its wines went on to win prizes at international expositions, and Yantai itself became known as the "International Wine City" on Changyu's account. Its century-old underground cellar and old gatehouse were listed in 2017 as one of the first batch of National Industrial Heritage sites, ranked first.

Changyu carries on a European winemaking tradition with its own vineyards, underground cellar and fermentation system; the great cellar, dug several metres deep and kept at a constant temperature and humidity year-round, is still used for oak-barrel ageing. Its craft spans the whole chain from grape-growing and pressing through fermentation to barrel ageing and bottling, representing the pinnacle of Chinese wine technique.

Changyu is a "China Time-honoured Brand" recognised by the Ministry of Commerce, and its old winery site is part of the first batch of National Industrial Heritage.