Yiwu: A commodity hub rich in cultural heritage

4. Intangible Cultural Heritage: Brown sugar making technique

Yiwu is known as the "Home of Brown Sugar", with over 340 years of sugarcane cultivation and a sugar-making tradition that spans four centuries. In 2014, the brown sugar-making technique was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The best time for making brown sugar is from October to December, and this period is also the busiest for sugar makers. The production process involves nine successive pots to ensure the purity of the sugar. The resulting sugar has a light yellow color with a hint of cyan and a sweet, spongy texture.

Yiwu's Xiantian village is one of the city's main brown sugar production areas, and in 2019, the village established a dedicated brown sugar production base.