Changyu Wine Culture Museum in Yantai City

Changyu Wine Culture Museum (张裕酒文化博物馆) is located at No. 56 Dama Road in Zhifu District, Yantai. It is a National First-Class Museum and a national 4A-rated tourist attraction, built on the original site of the Changyu Wine Company, which was founded in 1892 by Zhang Bishi, a prominent patriotic overseas Chinese entrepreneur. It is recognized as the first world-class professional wine museum in China.

Zhang Bishi, who was one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in Nanyang during the late Qing Dynasty, founded Changyu with the ideal of “saving the nation through industry”, investing three million taels of silver in the company. His efforts marked the beginning of industrial-scale wine production in China. Covering nearly 10,000 square meters, the museum combines the preserved remains of the historic winery with modern digital exhibitions and presents the more than century-long development of this pioneering Chinese wine enterprise. One of its most remarkable features is the Century-Old Underground Wine Cellar, located less than 100 meters from the coastline and more than one meter below sea level. The cellar maintains a naturally stable temperature and humidity throughout the year and is still in use today, making it an impressive example of historic architectural engineering.

Main Highlights

Wine Culture Square and Historic Gatehouse

The Wine Culture Square is marked by a bronze statue of Changyu founder Zhang Bishi and preserves the historic-style gatehouse from the early days of Changyu, a qilin screen wall, an ancient spring, and the remains of an early underground treasury. The old buildings display a distinctive blend of Chinese and Western architectural influences, making this one of the museum’s most recognizable outdoor photography spots. The spacious square also serves as the starting point for the museum visit.

Indoor Themed Exhibition Halls

The museum’s indoor exhibition areas are arranged into the Comprehensive Hall, History Hall, Modern Hall, Treasures Hall, and Film and Television Hall. Through historical photographs, archival documents, early winemaking equipment, and valuable wine collections, the exhibitions tell the complete story of Changyu, from its establishment during the late Qing Dynasty and its success at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, where it won a prestigious First-Class Medal, to its development as a modern wine industry enterprise.

The exhibition halls also use curved-screen projection and immersive digital displays to recreate the challenging early years of China’s modern industrial development. At the same time, visitors can learn about wine production techniques and the fundamentals of winemaking, making the museum particularly suitable for cultural, historical, and educational visits.

Century-Old Underground Wine Cellar

The Century-Old Underground Wine Cellar is the museum’s signature attraction. Visitors descend a spiral staircase into an underground cellar covering approximately 2,000 square meters, where more than a thousand wooden oak barrels are arranged in orderly rows. The rich aroma of aging wine fills the cellar, creating a distinctive atmosphere.

The three enormous “King of Asian Barrels” are particularly impressive. Each barrel can hold up to 15,000 liters of wine and is regarded as one of the museum’s treasures. An underground wine bar is also located inside the cellar, where visitors can enjoy a wine-tasting experience and appreciate the unique environment created by a century of underground wine storage.

Special Wine Experiences

The museum offers optional paid experiences including wine tasting and DIY brandy bottling. Visitors can personally bottle and seal their own commemorative bottle of wine, creating a distinctive souvenir of their visit. The museum’s cultural and creative shop also sells a variety of wines, wine-related accessories, and souvenirs for visitors who wish to take home a memento.

Travel Tips: The underground wine cellar is relatively cool, so bring a light jacket. Visitors who are driving should not drink alcohol. Exhibits in the exhibition halls must not be touched or damaged, and flash photography is prohibited. DIY bottling, wine tasting, and guided interpretation are all optional paid services. The last admission is at 16:30, so allow enough time for a complete visit.

Tickets and Reservations

The standard adult admission ticket costs RMB 80 and includes a basic wine-tasting experience. Several package options with more in-depth experiences are also available.

Visitors aged 60–69 can receive discounted admission with valid identification. Visitors under 18, those aged 70 and above, military personnel, and people with disabilities can enter without paying the basic admission fee upon presentation of valid identification.

Opening Hours: 8:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. The museum is open year-round. Tickets can be purchased through online platforms, and advance reservations are not mandatory.

A free parking lot is available at the museum, although parking spaces are limited. During public holidays and other busy periods, taking public transportation is recommended.

Best Time to Visit

The museum is suitable for visiting year-round and is not affected by weather conditions. Allow approximately 1.5–2 hours for a complete visit. The museum can be combined with Yantai Mountain and the Guangren Road Historic Open-Port Cultural District to create a one-day cultural sightseeing itinerary in central Yantai.

Climate Reference

Yantai has a coastal climate. Summer, from June to August, generally sees temperatures of 21–29°C; autumn, from September to November, ranges from approximately 11–22°C; winter, from December to February, is around -3–6°C; and spring, from March to May, generally ranges from 7–20°C. The underground wine cellar maintains a year-round temperature of approximately 11–14°C, so it may feel noticeably cool compared with the outdoor areas.

Transportation

By Car: Navigate to Changyu Wine Culture Museum, No. 56 Dama Road, Zhifu District, Yantai.

By Public Transportation: Take bus routes 32, 43, or 46 and get off at the Yantai Mountain Hospital stop, followed by a short walk to the museum. A taxi from Yantai Railway Station takes approximately 15 minutes, depending on traffic.

Recommended Tour Route

Wine Culture Square and historic gatehouse → indoor themed exhibition halls to learn about Changyu’s century-long history → descend the spiral staircase into the Century-Old Underground Wine Cellar → view the rows of oak barrels and the giant “King of Asian Barrels.” If time permits, visitors can also participate in wine tasting and DIY bottling experiences.

For a broader Jiaodong itinerary, Changyu Wine Culture Museum can be combined with Yantai Mountain and Yangma Island to create a coastal cultural tour of Yantai.

Accommodation

The museum is located in central Yantai, where visitors can find a wide range of hotels and guesthouses. Advance reservations are recommended during public holidays and the peak tourist season.

Navigation

Changyu Wine Culture Museum
No. 56 Dama Road, Zhifu District, Yantai, Shandong Province.

Best Photo Spots

Recommended photography locations include the historic-style gatehouse, bronze statue of Zhang Bishi, the rows of oak barrels in the Century-Old Underground Wine Cellar, and the enormous King of Asian Barrels.

Nearby Attractions

Nearby attractions include Yantai Mountain Scenic Area, Guangren Road Historic Open-Port Cultural District, Polaris Clock Museum, and No. 1 Beach.