Alcoholic drinks in China the White Snake as the substance which forces the snake to reveal her true form. The drink was thought to prevent disease and misfortune (particularly snake bites and digestive worms) and to promote health; although modern Chinese authorities discourage the practice, it is still legally available for consumption. Alcoholic drinks in China Alcoholic drinks in China seem to precede the earliest stages of Chinese civilization. They include rice and grape wine, beer, and various liquors including "baijiu", the most-consumed distilled spirit in the world. ("jiǔ") is the Chinese character referring to any drink containing appreciable quantities of ethanol. Its Old
Realgar wine Realgar wine Realgar wine or xionghuang wine (Chinese: , "xiónghuángjiǔ") is a Chinese alcoholic drink that consists of Chinese cereal wine ("huangjiu", "yellow wine") dosed with powdered realgar, a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral (AsS). It is traditionally consumed as part of the Dragon Boat Festival at the height of summer. A pesticide and insecticide used (particularly) against mosquitoes, realgar was considered to be a universal antidote against poison by traditional Chinese medicine, which therefore advocated its use for protection against disease, snakes, and evil spirits. The Dragon Boat Festival coincides with what Chinese astronomy considers the height of summer and