Chinese ancient liquor breweries eye heritage list

Beijing, July 11 (IANS)Two Chinese provinces are making a joint bid to have their ancient distilleries of baijiu, or Chinese liquor, recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage sites, according to authorities.

The "Chinese Baijiu Culture Landscape" includes a distillery in north China's Shanxi province and six distilleries in southwest China's Sichuan province, Xinhua reported.

An application to UNESCO has already passed pre-examination and the group's decision will be announced in August, said Liu Jing'an, director of the enterprise culture research centre under the Fenjiu Group, a state-owned company.

The Fen Liquor workshop in Shanxi dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and was put under state protection in 2006. The government has spent over 15 million yuan (about $2.5 million) for its protection since 2007, Liu said.

The brewery will receive more funding if it is added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, the official added.

The world heritage list includes 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.