Name/Title
Wing Lee Wai brand Wu Jia Pi Wine Jar and the Original BoxEntry/Object ID
2000.002.00165a-bDescription
"Two Cranes" trademark Wu Jia Pi Medicine Wine, made in Hong Kong, by the Wing Lee Wai brand, is a traditional medicinal wine widely circulated in Chinese folk culture. Both the box and the bottle's label feature images of two cranes facing one another.Context
Wu Jia Pi is a traditional Chinese liquor that originated as a medicated wine for the Chinese emperor. It's made with a variety of natural products and has a complex aroma profile. The liquor was first recorded by Dr. Shizhen Li in his book Compendium of Materia Medica (1518-1593). A retired Qing dynasty royal doctor later introduced the wine to the general public in Guangzhou, where he opened a medicine store.
"With an auspicious Chinese name which stands for “eternal fortune and fame”, the 140 year old Wing Lee Wai is one of the oldest businesses in Hong Kong, operating out of its base at 124 Wing Lok Street in Sheung Wan since 1905. It was one of the largest Chinese wine distilleries in China with branches in Tientsin, Shanghai, Canton, Macau and Kiangmen in China and overseas branches in Penang, Singapore and San Francisco in the 1920s through 40s."
from the Industrial History of Hong Kong Group website article titled "Eternal Fortune and Fame: The 140 Year old Saga of Chinese Winemaker Wing Lee Wai (永利威)"
Accessed here:
https://industrialhistoryhk.org/eternal-fortune-and-fame-the-140-years-old-saga-of-chinese-winemaker-wing-lee-wai-%E6%B0%B8%E5%88%A9%E5%A8%81/"