In 1892, the businessman and Chinese consul in Singapore Cheong Fatt Tze vulgo Chang Bishi (1840-1916) founded a winery called "Chang Yu" in Yantai in the Chinese province of Shandong. The name is formed from the family name and the Chinese characters for "prosperity". The foundation is equated with the beginning of China's modern wine history. Chang Bishi bought 67 hectares of land and introduced 150 European vinifera varieties for trials. He was aware that modern viticulture would only be possible with the support of European experts. The Austro-Hungarian consul Baron Max von Babo (1862-1933), son of the well-known August-Wilhelm von Babo (1827-1894), was hired as advisor and cellar master. Babo imported barrels, presses and 400,000 Welschriesling seedlings from Austria and brought the winery to international renown. Under Chang Chengquing (1872-1914), the founding nephew and first general manager, the Great Cellar was completed, 3,000 hectares of vineyards were planted and many products were developed. In 1992, the "Changyu Wine Culture Museum" was opened in the Zhifu district, showing the long history of the winery with many artefacts, but also of other Chinese wine producers.
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