You Are Here – Luzhou

I am adding more China mugs in an express mode in anticipation of the Holiday season. This is Starbucks You Are Here – Luzhou which comes from Sichuan province. Luzhou was an important port on the Yangtze River since ancient times. It was also known for winemaking since the Song Dynasty. The liquor industry still remains a major part of the Luzhou economy. It is worth mentioning that, the city is home for Luzhou Laojiao Company Limited, which is a producer of Luzhou Laojiao liqueur, a baijiu that has a strong aroma of fermented peaches. Two big ceramic pots on the front of the mug, symbolize just that.
Here are some more points of interest and symbols from the mug:
– Bao’en Pagoda – was built in 1143 from white brick and stone with the bronze spire at the top. Unfortunately, since it’s closed for visitors, you can’t get in and walk up 107 steps of its spiral staircase and see 256 figures (statues) placed inside.
– Oil-paper umbrella refers to the rich history of this device in Sichuan Province and Luzhou in particular. We can track back its appearance in this region back to the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). It has become a piece of art nowadays and Luzhou is currently the only major production area for handmade oil-paper umbrellas in the country.
– Longnao Bridge was built during the early Ming Dynasty. The eight piers in the middle of the bridge were carved with four kinds of Rui beasts, namely, Kirin, Qingshi, four dragons, and Baixiang.