There are sentences in the book of Origin of Chinese Characters, as follows, Liquor play its role by the humanity of good and evil. The water is changed into liquor which created good and evil. In ancient time, Yi Di produced good liquor, Da Yu tasted it very good. But unexpectedly, he didn’t recognize him but alienated him.

Originally, the liquor has no good or evil, and just plays its role by the inner nature of drinkers. No matter how well the people behave in their daily life, if the nature is good, then his nature will be more kindness after drinking. If his nature is evil, he will become worse after drinking. Here, Xu Chen took the story that Yi Di produced good liquor but Da Yu kept him at a distance to give advices that the liquor is certainly good, but we must drink it in moderation, otherwise bad things will happen.

From a certain extent, the 5000 years’ history of civilization of China is more rich and colorful because of liquor with different category and taste and all sorts of drinking patterns and liquor vessels. Along the guidance of text, we found soon that when the liquor which was sealed in the pottery is released, it can immediately send out smell, people will be in ecstasies. Let the blood of people to boil, at the same time, it beats every senses of people and captures human mind in the moment to stimulate the potential inspiration, to make the creativeness of the people can be fully displayed. So it also has been known as following names, sorrow broom, fishing hook of poems, Meilu, water from the sky, Qiong Yao, Huan Bo and so on. It is also loved by the literati and thus there are many drinking way of the liquor.

In Ming Dynasty, the famous writer Mr. Yuan Hongdao had divided the drinking way of liquor according to the nature and style of people, as follows, drinking with families, drinking after angry, fun to drink, brilliant drinking, God drinking and so on. Those categories have smaller categories and corresponding representative figures in history. Such as, Cao Shen and Jiang Wan are all important persons in the country, it can be called country drinking when they had drank together. Lu Jia and Chen Zun were skilled in debate and were bohemianism when they are drinking, so it can be called “Da Drinking”. Zhang Qixian and Kou Zhun were luxury when they were drinking, so it can be called “Luxury Drinking”. Wang Dayuan and He Chengyu not be punctilious when they drank, it can be called “Punctilious Drinking”. Cai Yong and Zheng Xuan wrote poems when they were drinking, so it can be called literal drinking and refined drinking. Chun Yukun can be drunk for a small cup of liquor or a big cup of liquor, so it can be called “Pai Drinking”. And Li Shi shouted loudly wine bibber, which can be called “Bian Drinking”. Kong Rong liked to treat friends with liquor, like to open a wine shop, it can be called “Si Drinking”. The Buddhists like Zui Dian and Fa Chang drunk liquor, it can be called “Buddhist Drinking”. Kong Yuan and Zhang Zhihe seek gods following mountains and lakes, it is God Drinking. Yang Xiong and Guan Lu are all masters of Yi and are skilled in a profound theory, they drink liquor is Xuan Drinking. Bai Juyi like quiet and don’t care about anything in old age, but only love to drinking liquor, which is Suitable Drinking. Su Shun was pushed out by schemers and drank liquor for elimination of anger, it is Anger Drinking. Chen Xuan was obsessed with the liquor and gave up everything, it is Dull Drinking. Yan Yanzhi was famous for his poems but has small drinking capacity, it is Reserved Drinking. Jing Ke assassinated the king of Qin, Guan Fu called names after drinking, and they were died with angry, it is Furious Drinking. Xin Ling and Dong E reduced sadness with drinking liquor, which is Sorrow Drinking.

But, as mentioned above, the quality of liquor likes the character of people. Even those who have been casual and elegant bearing can’t lose their nature after drinking, regardless of any drinking ways, they also can’t lose self-control after being drunk. They always like the wise man of Tao Yuanming who told guests that you go and I want to sleep as I am drunk. Or they will like the Eight Immortals written by Du Fu who had been drunk but still can’t be rude but suave and took liquor as the tool to add to the fun. He Zhizhang rides on the horse like by ship after being drunk, and falls into well to sleep on the bottom. The king of Ruyang Li Jin met the emperor after drinking three dou of liquor. On the road, he saw car loading distiller's yeast and the good smell of liquor made his mouth water. He felt regret not to be placed in the Jiuquan county where the water is tasted like liquor. The left prime minister Mr. Li Shzhi drank liquor like the whale swallows the water from the rivers. He said drinking too much liquor is to neglect government affairs. Cui Zongzhi was a handsome and young man and always looked at the sky when he drank liquor. The beautiful posture likes a jade tree in the wind. Although Su Jin avoided eating meat and fish before the Buddha, but he often forgot Buddhist precepts when he drank liquor. Li Bai can write 100 poems at once when he drank a dou liquor. He always slept in the wine shop when he drank liquor in the shop in Changan street. The emperor held the banquet in the lake and asked him to write a poem for start. But he refuse to go on board and said he is immortal of the liquor. Zhang Xu wrote books at once when he drank three cups of liquor, the people called his as wise man in cursive writing. He always not be punctilious and took off his hat in front of members of the imperial house. He wrote in feverish bursts, if God help him, his writing likes the cloud and mist on the paper. Jiao Zui was in high spirits after drinking five glasses of liquor and talked with eloquence on the banquet, his words always electrified his listeners.

All above are just for the individuals. The effectiveness of liquor is actually far more than so. For collective and state, it is not only the pronoun of delicious liquid, but also the medium of communication between man and ghosts. It is the way of etiquette inside and outside the country and significance symbol of the progress of Chinese civilization. Because of liquor, the social life becomes colorful and the state is more eminence.

There is an article in earliest historical records of Shang Shu which is about the questions of liquor. The first point is the relationship between liquor and sacrifice. The book pointed out that the sacrifice is to worship the sky which is a major event. Only in this occasion, we can use liquor. It may be said that it is the ancient liquor. Later, we have not obeyed the rules of drinking liquor only in sacrifice. Even if we can drink liquor, it must be moderate. So Zhou Gong said you don’t often drink liquor and lose self-control after drinking, which are the rules for nobles. As for ordinary people, Zhou Gong stipulated to dare to use liquor. It means that you can drink liquor with families when the grain harvest and they honor their parents, and don’t drink in other situations. Why there are so many provisions of drinking liquor, maybe to produce liquor needs a large number of grains. And the yield of grain is limited at that time, so there is contradiction between meal and drinking. Another important reason is that although the ancients found the wonderful of liquor but can’t figure out the source and brewing process for a short while. They thought the liquor is created by immortals and is precious like rain and dew, so it must be sacrificed to the Gods. (Auditor: Du Weiqi)