Yueyang tortoise and snake liquor

According to legend, before they crossed the sea, the eight immortals went to the Yueyang Tower and drank the tortoise and snake liquor. They finally crossed the sea without a hitch. This is where the saying, "each of the Eight Immortals shows his or her special prowess to cross the sea", comes from.

Lu Dongbin, the immortal of poems and liquor, boasted that he would not get drunk even if drinking a bucket of liquor in a day. On the three occasions he went to Yueyang, he became drunk at the Yueyang Tower after consuming the tortoise and snake liquor. People of later generations built a Three Drunken Pavilion on the side of the Yueyang Tower and recorded the story of Lu passing out as a drunkard three times at the tower.

The authentic Yueyang tortoise and snake liquor is made with Dongting fragrant glutinous rice and spring water from Liuyi well, under the ancient stone steamer distillation method. Dongting tortoises, kraits and coral snakes are then are soaked in the jars along with 20 traditional Chinese medicines, such as ginseng, Chinese angelica, Eucommia, medlar and royal jelly.

They are sealed and stored underground for one to two years. Yueyang tortoise and snake liquor has 38 degrees of alcoholic strength. The liquor is transparent and crimson. It tastes sweet and contains 18 amino acids for the human body. Rich in nutriments, the liquor has the functions of nourishing Yin and strengthening kidney, promoting flow of qi and blood circulation, refreshing and enriching the saliva, and strengthening the muscles and bones. Yueyang tortoise and snake liquor has been awarded as a quality product in Hunan province for many years.

In 1984, it won a silver prize in an alcohol quality competition sponsored by the Ministry of Light Industry. Now, the liquor is being sold in Chinese and foreign markets. It is particularly welcomed in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. Chinese and foreign tourists should take the pleasure of drinking a cup of tortoise and snake liquor when they tour Yueyang.