Rice wine distillation in Dong community, a harvest and celebration.

Community rice wine production in a Dong village in Guizhou. As you walk through the village, you can see these brick installations every few blocks. They are communal distilling stations, particularly busy after the annual rice harvest.

Rice is first fermented and then heated, with the large steaming and distilling vessel above used to collect the alcohol through distillation. The result is closer to a distilled rice spirit than ordinary rice wine, sitting within the much broader family of Chinese baijiu.

It is another way for the community to enjoy and preserve the fruits of the harvest. During the busy season, steam rising from these stations throughout the village is also a visible sign that the year’s rice has been harvested and turned into something to be shared and enjoyed.