Today wine making has become the pillar industry of Shaoxing; and people there know how to fully use their rich wine culture to stimulate development. In Shaoxing, wine customs appear everywhere. One can find wine at weddings, funerals, festivals, business activities, and the daily lives of local people.

In fact, Chinese wine culture has a long history that dates back to 2400 years ago. In China’s Spring and Autumn period, Shaoxing City was the country of Yue. In 492 BC, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, was defeated and enslaved by Wu. Three years later, he returned to his own country, and strengthened his resolve to end the national humiliation. He encouraged his soldiers by awarding them with wines. This indicates that the wine industry at that time had a scale of no modest dimension.

Wine customs and their long history enhance the wine industry in Shaoxing, and give the city a unique characteristic. When people mention Shanxing, they not only know its bountiful human landscape and picturesque rivers and lakes, but also are familiar with Xian Heng Wineshop, which was often visited by Kong Yiji (a character in Lu's novel), and also its famous wine culture.