Qiangji Village: A Thousand Years of Nostalgia and Rebirth in Highland Barley Wine

In the Qonggyai Valley on the south bank of the middle reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the smoke from the chimneys of Qiangji Village is always carrying a faint aroma of wine. In Tibetan, "Qiangji" means "hometown of barley wine." This village, at an altitude of 3800 meters, boasts a 1300-year-old uninterrupted history of winemaking, making it the most vibrant embodiment of Tibetan barley wine culture—here, wine is not a commodity, but a cultural gene flowing in daily life, a link between history and new life.

The village's wine tradition is linked to the legend of Princess Wencheng. It is said that in the 7th century AD, the princess accompanied Songtsen Gampo back to Qonggyai to visit her family. Using the local plump barley and sweet stream water, combined with the Han Chinese double fermentation method, she brewed fine wine and passed on the technique to the village women. Another version says that the Venerable Pa Dampa Sangye named the village "Qiangji" after praising the villagers' "Luoqiang" wine. Regardless of the legend, both testify to the ancient winemaking techniques of this place. The line from the Epic of King Gesar, "The barley used for brewing wine flies like flocks of wild birds," aptly describes the winemaking life of the Qiangji people.

Winemaking is a daily ritual in Qiangji village. In the workshop at dawn, 60-year-old Tsering Drolma pours sifted barley into a clay pot, simmering it over a low flame until it's about 80% cooked. After cooling to lukewarm, she evenly sprinkles on the yeast starter—"Too hot and it's bitter; too cold and it won't ferment," a secret she learned from her mother. The wine is then sealed in earthenware jars and fermented for three days. The filtered liquid is clear, sweet, and carries the unique aroma of barley. Almost every one of the village's 184 households brews wine. The workshop of Losang Dorje, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, is the most bustling. Earthenware jars and bronze vessels fill the shelves. His improved pink barley wine, additive-free yet naturally lustrous, has become a renowned brand.

Barley wine is deeply ingrained in the fabric of the village. In weddings and funerals, wine is the core of the ceremony; when distinguished guests arrive, three cups of "entrance wine" carry the highest honor. Elders smear wine stains on children's clothes, saying it absorbs the "spirit of the five grains"; as herders graze their flocks, the wooden wine jugs tied to their waists clink together, creating a rhythmic melody on the grasslands. In Losang Dorje's workshop, six villagers earn an additional 24,000 yuan annually through brewing, turning their traditional craft into a "golden rice bowl."

Tradition has never hindered new life. The cooperative was established in 2017, the company registered in 2019, and the modern winery went into operation in 2021, generating a cumulative revenue of over 1.2 million yuan. The village sent young people to Hubei to learn the techniques; the modern processes brought back by Puntsok Dondrup allow the barley wine to retain its original flavor while becoming more market-ready. In 2024, the "Qiangqin Barley Wine" brewing technique was listed as an autonomous region-level intangible cultural heritage. Holding the certificate, Losang Dorje smiled and said, "Tradition must be preserved, but new steps must be taken."

In the twilight of Qiangji Village, the aroma of wine mingles with the smoke from cooking fires. The wine continues to ferment in the earthenware jars, just as the village's story continues to unfold. From Princess Wencheng's yeast to modern production lines, from small workshops in every household to intangible cultural heritage workshops, the barley wine of Qiangji Village embodies not only the essence of the plateau but also the wisdom of Tibetan cultural heritage—only by preserving its roots can it brew new life.