Brooms, Yellow Crane Tower Liquor

Enlarge image

China, October 31, 2023

Brooms, Yellow Crane Tower Liquor, Xianning, Hubei

Tuesday afternoon, we walked into an unlikely facility introduced to us by its quite jovial proprietor. This was the famous Yellow Crane Tower Liquor establishment, which produces a clear, silver liqueur (also called “wine”) that burns all the way down and then knocks your socks off! The first thing noticed was the heavy, foul smells of the originating ingredients, arranged in neat piles as far as the eye could see in the dimness. Passing through the vast rooms, I noticed a stack of brooms leaning against the wall. I thought little of it at the time, but they have become a feature—and symbol—of perfection in this painting.