Douglas Christopher Dueno, a foreign expert at the China Daily Website, crafts huadiao. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Douglas Christopher Dueno, a foreign expert at China Daily Website, described jars that are designed uniquely for a person and special occasions as "extraordinary", saying that he can imagine the happiness and excitement of people when they retrieve the jars that they had buried ages ago.

"The most interesting part of coming to this experience is the huadiao jars. It's an earthen-clay vessel that's designed uniquely for each person, so each jar has a unique story to it," he said.

Today, winemaking is a pillar industry in Shaoxing and the city is well-versed in leveraging its rich wine culture to stimulate development.

In 2021, Shaoxing huangjiu's sales revenue totaled 5.54 billion yuan ($780.28 million), accounting for about 43 percent of China's total. The profits of Shaoxing's wine industry hit 816 million yuan, making up approximately 48 percent of the national total, more than 8 percentage points higher than the previous year.

Authorities have been seeking further development by integrating wine brewing with tourism. One such example is the Shaoxing Huangjiu Town, where visitors can savor heritage wine while enjoying ancient architectures and stunning views of nature.