30-Second Overview: Rewind a century to Shulin, located at the southwest corner of the Taipei Basin. It was the only factory in Taiwan that used red yeast rice (Monascus) to brew alcohol; during the Japanese colonial period, it was hailed as the "Holy Land of Taiwan's Brewing Industry" 1. After 1945, production of its signature Honglu (red dew) wine reached 150,000 koku by 1969, making it an indispensable drink at Taiwanese weddings and celebrations 1. In 2004, the distillery, which had operated for 96 years, closed its doors, and the site became a science park. However, the red yeast rice microbes did not die—they were reincarnated as sausages, sauces, and an annual cultural festival. Furthermore, monacolin K, isolated from red yeast rice in 1979, is the progenitor of modern statin drugs used to lower cholesterol 2.
Rice from Song Dynasty Pharmacies: Crossing the Sea to Shulin during the Guangxu Era
Red yeast rice (Monascus) grows and ferments on grains of rice, dyeing the originally white rice a jujube-red color while releasing a unique ester aroma. This technique was already mature during the Song dynasty: the Yuan dynasty imperial cookbook Yinshan Zhengyao recorded that red yeast rice "strengthens the spleen, benefits qi, and warms the middle," while Wu Duan's Riyong Bencao from the Ming dynasty wrote that "red yeast rice used for brewing wine breaks blood and drives medicinal force" 3. Li Shizhen included the preparation methods of red yeast rice in the Compendium of Materia Medica, moving it from the kitchen into the pharmacy 3. Throughout its history of fermentation, red yeast rice has served a triple identity: as a brewing ingredient, a natural red pigment, and a meat preservative 3. Song Yingxing's Ming dynasty work Tiangong Kaiwu further noted its antibacterial properties—later experiments confirmed that red yeast rice extracts do indeed inhibit various food-spoiling bacteria 4.
China and Korea have used red yeast rice to produce alcohol and fermented foods since ancient times, representing a shared East Asian fermentation heritage 5. This millennial technology crossed the sea to Shulin during the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty. At that time, Shulin had already gathered many small private distilleries producing rice wine and old red wines; these brewers introduced red yeast rice brewing techniques from Fujian, which was a traditional stronghold for red yeast rice winemaking 3.
A Poetic Resister and His Distillery Founded with 3,200 Yen
In 1907 (the 40th year of the Meiji era), the Shulin red yeast rice industry formally took shape, and the identity of its founder is more complex than you might imagine. Huang Chun-ching (黃純青), born in Shulin (formerly known as Haishan Fort) in 1875, studied at the Yangshan Study in Shulin for 13 years starting at age nine. He passed the county and prefectural imperial examinations at age 18, but his path to official success was interrupted after the First Sino-Japanese War 6. When Japanese troops moved south in 1895, he took up arms, attacking Japanese forces with local villagers at Pijiao Station and Taliaokeng; thirteen Shulin residents died in the conflict and were buried in the "Thirteen Graves" of Fengguidian 6.
This very gentleman of Shulin, who once fought the Japanese with bayonets, later became one of the most senior public officials in Shulin during the Japanese colonial period. He served as the District Chief of Shulin in Taoyuan Prefecture and the Village Chief of Yingge in Haishan District, Taipei Prefecture for 33 years. Including over a hundred other posts such as head of credit unions, livestock associations, and member of the Governor-General's Council, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Sixth Class, by Japan in 1928 6. In literature, he was a poet of the Ying Society, calling himself "Old Man of the Sunny Garden" (Qingyuan Laoren) in his later years, and authored Qingyuan Shicao (Poetic Sketches of the Sunny Garden) 6.
In 1906, Huang Chun-ching and seven other shareholders, including Xie Wang, Zhou Jushan, and Wang Wang, invested 3,200 yen to establish the "Shulin Liquor Company"—the earliest enterprise in Shulin to produce alcohol through a collective investment model 6. In the 40th year of Meiji, Huang Chun-ching, along with Xie Daopi and Chen Yan, formed the "Shulin Brewing Company" to manufacture red wine for marketing throughout Taiwan 3. The claim that Huang Chun-ching returned from South Africa to take over the business is incorrect—the person who actually returned from South Africa was another fermentation professional, Hsu Chao-hua; these are two figures from different eras, to be discussed later 7.
In 1924, the company was reorganized into the "Taiwan Governor-General's Monopoly Bureau Shulin Distillery" 3. Supported by the monopoly system, this distillery entered a golden age: it was the only red yeast rice manufacturing plant in all of Taiwan, the site where the "Amilo" rice wine method was successfully tested, and where scientific methods were developed using Monascus for koji production and Rhizopus for red wine production. During the Japanese colonial period, Shulin held a near-mythical title in the brewing industry: "The Holy Land of Taiwan's Brewing Industry" 1.
📊 Data Interpretation
Shulin Distillery Status: The "only" red yeast rice manufacturing plant in all of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period 1
Founding Capital of Shulin Liquor Company (1906): 3,200 yen, 7 shareholders 6
Public Offices held by Huang Chun-ching: Over 100 positions 6
Honglu Wine Production (1958): 60,000 koku 1
Honglu Wine Production (1969): 150,000 koku, breaking the Japanese colonial era record 1
Distillery Operating Years (1907–2004): 96 years 3
Juchia Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage (2008): One of New Taipei City's Top Ten Souvenirs 8
Honglu Wine: The Red Wine on Post-War Taiwanese Wedding Tables
After the war in 1945, the distillery was taken over by the Taiwan Provincial Monopoly Bureau and renamed the Shulin Distillery. The two signature red wines, "Golden Rooster" and "Yellow Rooster," were given a more elegant name—Honglu (Red Dew) wine 1.
How popular was Honglu wine in post-war Taiwan? It was an essential celebratory drink for weddings and festivities, with folk wisdom claiming it "nourishes the body and replenishes qi" 3. To meet market demand, the Monopoly Bureau formulated production increase plans. Under the guidance of technical staff, the Shulin Distillery continuously improved red yeast rice and red wine processes, causing production to soar: reaching 60,000 koku in 1958 and breaking through 150,000 koku in 1969, setting a new record that surpassed the Japanese colonial era 1. From then on, Shulin became known as "the home of Honglu wine" 3.
📝 Curator's Note
The most paradoxical part of the Shulin story is this: its reputation was built on "wine," but the distillery is long gone. In 2004, the Shulin Distillery, which had operated for 96 years, became history, and the site became the Taiwan Taisol Science Park 3. A city lost its landmark, but it did not lose its scent—this is the key to understanding Shulin's red yeast rice.
How a Batch of Red Yeast Rice is Crafted
To understand why the people of Shulin are so obsessed with red yeast rice, one must first look at how a batch is made.
Red yeast rice is an aerobic mold; the first key to koji production is "oxygen." Steamed rice must be spread out and kept loose so there are enough gaps between grains for air to circulate; if it becomes a sticky clump, the Monascus will not grow well, and the resulting wine will not be sweet and fragrant 4. The second key is "rice." Glutinous rice consists almost entirely of amylopectin, which has many molecular ends, providing more sites for the starchase secreted by the koji mold to attach. This allows for faster decomposition, naturally resulting in higher sugar and alcohol content compared to using regular rice (Penglai or Zailai rice); this is the scientific explanation for why "using glutinous rice makes the koji more flavorful" 4.
The traditional folk method involves spreading the steamed glutinous rice to a lukewarm state, maintaining a fermentation temperature of 25–32°C. If it gets too cold, blankets are used for insulation. It is stirred once a day, with fermentation completing in about 12 days 9. The wife of the owner of "First Red Yeast Rice," He Fu-chen (何富珍), would wake up in the middle of the night to stir the fermenting red yeast rice 7. While it sounds romantic, it is actually science—the proliferation of mycelium during fermentation generates heat, and stirring is done to distribute that heat evenly to prevent localized overheating from killing the culture 9.
Scientific research has converted these experiences into numbers. Regarding the production of the health component monacolin K in red yeast rice, scholars have identified optimal parameters for solid-state fermentation: an initial pH of 5.5, moisture content of 40%, maintaining 30°C for the first 3 days, then dropping to 24°C for 15 days of fermentation (totaling 18 days), with a 10% water supplement on the 4th day. Under these conditions, the monacolin K content in red yeast rice can reach 9.5 mg per gram, and no citrinin—a nephrotoxic substance—was detected in any batches 10. Traditional craftsmanship and laboratory thermometers meet at the same goal within this single fermentation vat.
After the Closure: The Distillery is Gone, but the Microbes Remain in the Sausages
The distillery closed, but the red yeast rice microbes continued to live in the vats of the people. Following the loss of the state-run distillery, Shulin residents successively established private distilleries like the Shulin Distillery and Taipei Distillery, allowing red yeast rice techniques to circulate among neighbors 3. The modern Shulin Distillery still calls itself "one of the oldest distilleries in Taiwan," continuing to release Honglu wine while working toward the goal of creating a "Red Yeast Rice Cultural Center" 11.
A more grounded continuation occurs in the kitchens of two local businesses.
Juchia Food (巨佳食品行) began developing red yeast rice processed products in 2004. In the first generation, when they attempted to incorporate red yeast rice into meat products, they struggled with the meat fibers becoming loose due to the red yeast rice, resulting in poor texture. After repeated formula adjustments, they were able to mass-produce their signature Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage in 2005 3. This sausage won one of New Taipei City's Top Ten Souvenirs in 2008 8, and today it is a must-buy red yeast rice specialty for Shulin tourists—its deep red cross-section and faint aroma of wine are memories of the distillery era left on the palate. Juchia Chairman Li Hsiung-yang (李雄陽) continues to develop diverse red yeast rice products, ranging from red yeast rice lemon spicy meat jerky to red yeast rice Kyoho grape pork jerky, bringing red yeast rice from sausages into snack cabinets 12.
Another business, First Red Yeast Rice (第一紅麴), is the only local manufacturer in Shulin of raw red yeast rice materials. The owner, Hsu Chao-hua (許照華), originally ran a family fermentation business involving soy sauce and vinegar; after returning from South Africa to take over the business, he eventually settled in Shulin and transitioned into red yeast rice using his fermentation background 7. This couple is almost devout regarding red yeast rice: every week they drive to Mount Foshan in Sanxia to collect mountain spring water to wash and soak the rice. They are willing to use Hualien Fuli organic rice, which is one or two times more expensive, and the wife, He Fu-chen, even wakes up at night to stir the fermenting red yeast rice to dissipate heat, saying she "treats the red yeast rice microbes as if they were life itself" 7. In 2005, they won the Golden鼎 (Jinding) Food Award; their red yeast rice paste later became a raw material for the major beverage brand Bomi Red Yeast Rice drinks 7.
| Business | Location | Role of Red Yeast Rice | Representative Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juchia Food | No. 64 Bo'ai St., Shulin District | Processed products (sausage, jerky) | Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage (2008 Top Ten Souvenir) |
| First Red Yeast Rice | Shulin District | Raw materials and sauces | Organic red yeast rice paste, red yeast rice vinegar |
| Shulin Distillery (Private) | Shulin District | Brewing Honglu wine | Honglu wine |
Red Yeast Paste on the Table: Another Face of Red Yeast Rice in Dining
The residue left after brewing alcohol with red yeast rice is called hongzao (red yeast paste)—this fermented byproduct is another face of Shulin's red yeast rice culture. The famous Fuzhou dish "Lychee Pork" (lizhirou) involves finely cutting pork and marinating it in red yeast paste to achieve a red appearance resembling lychees 4. Red yeast paste pork (hongzao rou) is even more common on Taiwanese tables: according to recipes from the Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation's Yilan Distillery, pork belly is cut into six to eight slices and marinated with red yeast paste, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, then stir-fried for color before being braised for fifteen minutes. The resulting bright red, oily dish with a faint koji aroma is the perfect partner for white rice 13.
Even the choice of rice for making koji is particular. A popular science analysis by Foodnext points out that due to its amylopectin structure, glutinous rice decomposes faster via koji amylase than regular rice, resulting in higher sugar and alcohol content 4. Furthermore, the longer the marinating time and the larger the surface area of the meat, the more deeply the flavor of the red yeast paste can penetrate the muscle fibers 4. The presence of red yeast rice has even entered desserts: local Shulin bakers use red yeast rice powder and paste from the Shulin Distillery to make longan pound cake; the faint rice aroma and steady natural red color allow red yeast rice to appear on a cake slice in an entirely new form.
| Red Yeast Dish | Type | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Hongzao Pork | Main course | Pork belly marinated in red yeast paste; bright red, oily, savory with wine aroma |
| Lychee Pork | Main course (Fuzhou specialty) | Pork chunks marinated in red yeast paste, resembling lychees |
| Red Yeast Steamed Cake | Snack | Made from a batter of red yeast rice and regular rice; natural red color |
| Red Yeast Sorghum Sausage | Meat product | Shulin specialty; deep red cross-section with wine aroma |
| Longan Red Yeast Pound Cake | Dessert | Red yeast powder and paste added to cake; faint rice aroma and natural red color |
In 1979, a Japanese Scholar Dug the Blueprint for Statins Out of a Vat
Beyond the kitchen, there is a story of red yeast rice that changed the history of global medicine. In 1979, Professor Akira Endo of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology isolated monacolin K from red yeast rice—a substance capable of inhibiting cholesterol synthesis. This discovery ignited a global research craze and became the chemical blueprint for lovastatin, the first "statin" cholesterol-lowering drug, thereby adding the statin family to the history of cholesterol medication 2. To this day, the Mayo Clinic explains in its drug supplement database that the monacolin K contained in red yeast rice has the same chemical structure as the drug lovastatin 2. International literature generally considers red yeast rice to be a relatively safe and effective auxiliary option for patients with mild to moderate high cholesterol 2.
Scientifically, the molecular structure of monacolin K is similar to HMG-CoA in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, allowing it to block HMG-CoA reductase—the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis—via competitive inhibition 10. Other secondary metabolites of red yeast rice, including the pigments monascin and ankaflavin, as well as GABA and dimeric acid, have also been experimentally proven to have potential for lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, and providing antioxidant effects 4.
However, in 2024, red yeast rice faced its most severe test globally. A red yeast rice health supplement from Japan's Kobayashi Pharmaceutical led to kidney damage in multiple consumers, resulting in at least five deaths and over a hundred hospitalizations; the problematic ingredient was found to contain the nephrotoxic "citrinin" 14. Citrinin is itself one of the metabolites of red yeast rice and primarily damages the kidneys; it has also been linked to endemic nephropathy in the Balkan region 4. The controversy spread to Taiwan, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted inspections and preemptively removed 226 related products from shelves 14.
✦ "Fermentation is alive; living things need someone to care for them."
However, science has provided answers. Animal testing by Taiwanese scholars showed that when citrinin concentrations in red yeast rice are within 200 ppm, they do not affect liver or kidney function; based on this, Taiwan's FDA set health food specification standards in 2007—citrinin content in red yeast rice products should be below 2 ppm 4. Japan, meanwhile, stipulated a citrinin limit of 200 ppb for red yeast rice pigments in the 1999 Japanese Standards of Food Additives 4. Researchers of fermentation processes have also proven that by controlling pH, moisture, and temperature curves, it is entirely possible to produce red yeast rice with high monacolin K and zero citrinin 10. For Shulin, the 2024 controversy served as an unexpected reminder of its identity: that fermentation technology, which has traveled from small distilleries in the Guangxu era to the present, is both a city's calling card and a food product requiring rigorous quality control. Fermentation is alive, and living things need someone to care for them—just like the red yeast rice He Fu-chen would stir in the middle of the night 7.
Picnics in Longevity Park: Proof that the Distillery Has Not Disappeared
In 2007, Shulin Mayor Chen Shih-jung held the first Shulin Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival under the theme of "One Township, One Specialty" 3. The government officially recognized red yeast rice as an asset of the people of Shulin, authorizing local businesses to use the phrase "Shulin Specialty" on their products 7. The festival continues to this day: in 2014, it combined historical tours with a red yeast rice food competition, linking the train station, Ji'an Temple, and Shengji Pavilion into a "Red Yeast Rice Time Tunnel" 15; in 2025, it moved to Longevity Park, known as the "Lungs of Shulin," hosting Red Yeast Rice Picnic Fun and Starlight Children's Party 16.
The community has also taken up the mantle. The "Shulin Red Yeast Rice Cultural Promotion Association," established in 2009, is led by key figures such as Liu Ching-tsih (劉靜賜), chairman of the local Shulin Distillery, to continue the legacy of "the home of red yeast rice" 17. The community has not been absent either: the Shanjia Community Development Association's "Red Yeast Rice Gourmet" series filmed videos of how to make red yeast rice steamed cake and dumplings for community classes 15. When the New Taipei City Museum of Art opened in 2025, the modern Shulin Distillery collaborated with the International Youth Cultural Exchange Program, using a "wine bottle fishing" game to introduce the brewing process of Honglu wine to the younger generation—one participant remarked: "So the Shulin Distillery hasn't actually disappeared." 11
Key Eras of Shulin Red Yeast Rice
Guangxu Era (Qing Dynasty): Brewers from Fujian brought red yeast rice brewing techniques to Shulin, and local small distilleries began producing red wine 3.
1906: Huang Chun-ching and seven shareholders, including Xie Wang and Zhou Jushan, invested 3,200 yen to establish the "Shulin Liquor Company" 6.
1907: Huang Chun-ching, along with Xie Daopi, Chen Yan, and others, formed the "Shulin Brewing Company," formalizing the Shulin red yeast rice industry 3.
1924: Reorganized into the "Taiwan Governor-General's Monopoly Bureau Shulin Distillery," becoming the only red yeast rice manufacturing plant in Taiwan 3.
1945: Renamed Shulin Distillery after the war; its signature red wine was renamed Honglu (Red Dew) wine 1.
1969: Honglu wine production exceeded 150,000 koku, breaking the record from the Japanese colonial era 1.
2004: The Shulin Distillery, which had operated for 96 years, closed; the site became the Taiwan Taisol Science Park 3.
2007: The first Shulin Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival was held, with the government officially recognizing red yeast rice as an asset of the people of Shulin 3.
Advice for Travelers
If you want to take a piece of red yeast rice home, Juchia Food on Bo'ai Street is your first stop: sliced Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage with green onions is the most classic Shulin way to eat it. To see red yeast rice in its original form, look for First Red Yeast Rice's organic red yeast paste, or browse the free tasting stalls at the cultural festival. To taste another face of red yeast rice on the dining table, try finding a Taiwanese restaurant serving hongzao pork, or visit the Shulin Distillery to experience wine tasting. If you visit in September, you can catch the annual Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival 16. Take a train and get off at Shulin Station or Shanjia Station; it is within walking distance—just like the red yeast rice microbes that crossed the sea from Fujian over a hundred years ago, this journey has never been far.
Further Reading
Shulin District Office, New Taipei City — Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival and district administration information
Official Website of Shulin Distillery — Honglu wine and cultural promotion by the private Shulin Distillery
References
Related topics: Fermentation, Taiwanese rice cuisine, New Taipei City food culture.
- Taiwan Museum of History Document Quarterly: The Takeover and Operation of the Taiwan Provincial Monopoly Bureau's Shulin Distillery (1945-1969) — Academic literature summary published by the Taiwan Museum of History, recording official data that the Shulin Distillery was the only red yeast rice manufacturing plant in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, the site of successful Amilo method testing, and the growth of Honglu wine production from 60,000 koku in 1958 to 150,000 koku in 1969 (Primary source).↩2345678910
- Mayo Clinic: Red yeast rice — Drugs & Supplements — Mayo Clinic drug and supplement database, explaining the chemical structural relationship between monacolin K in red yeast rice and the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin and its pharmacological significance (English source).↩234
- Juchia Food: Red Yeast Rice Shulin — A Thousand-Year Connection from China — A local history page written by "Juchia Food," a local red yeast rice processing plant in Shulin, detailing the full context of red yeast rice entering Shulin via Fujian techniques during the Guangxu era, the establishment of the Shulin Brewing Company in 1907, Huang Chun-ching being revered as the "Father of Shulin Red Yeast Rice," the distillery's closure in 2004, and the first Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival in 2007.↩23456789101112131415161718
- Foodnext: Is the Trending Health Food "Red Yeast Rice" Safe? (Written by Professor Pan Tzu-ming) — A popular science article written by Emeritus Professor Pan Tzu-ming of the Department of Biochemistry at National Taiwan University, explaining the health benefits of red yeast rice secondary metabolites, the nephrotoxic mechanism of citrinin, Taiwan's 2ppm citrinin limit set in 2007, and the experimental basis for using red yeast rice pigment to replace artificial colors.↩2345678910
- Fukami, H. et al. (2021). A Review of Red Yeast Rice, a Traditional Fermented Food in China and Korea. NIH PMC. — Peer-reviewed international literature summarizing the historical applications and biological activity research of red yeast rice as a traditional East Asian fermented food in alcohol and fermented food manufacturing (English source, academic primary source).↩
- Wikipedia: Huang Chun-ching — Biography of Huang Chun-ching, recording his 1895 anti-Japanese experience, the founding of Shulin Liquor Company in 1906 (7 shareholders, 3,200 yen capital), over 100 public offices held, being awarded the sixth-class decoration in 1928 and negotiating in Tokyo in 1931, supported by descriptions in the National Cultural Memory Bank.↩2345678
- The Epoch Times: Insisting on Sincere Brewing for Health—Shulin First Red Yeast Rice — A deep biographical report from 2009, detailing the commitment of Hsu Chao-hua and his wife (founders of First Red Yeast Rice) to using mountain spring water and organic rice for koji production, the fermentation details of red yeast rice and paste, and their products winning the Golden鼎 Food Award and receiving authorization for the "Shulin Specialty" label from the Mayor.↩234567
- New Taipei City Tourism Website: Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage—Juchia Food — Official shop introduction by the New Taipei City Tourism Bureau, recording that Juchia Food's Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage won the honor of being one of New Taipei City's Top Ten Souvenirs in 2008 (Official tourism resource, primary source).↩2
- Hakka Red Yeast Rice Home: Hakka Red Yeast Paste Production Method — Explanation of traditional koji production methods by a local Taiwanese red yeast rice operator, recording folk process parameters such as fermentation temperature of 25–32°C, stirring once daily, and completion in approximately 12 days.↩2
- Yuan, X. et al. (2023). Production of red yeast rice rich in monacolin K by variable temperature solid fermentation of Monascus purpureus. RSC Advances, NIH PMC. — Peer-reviewed international journal paper systematically studying the effects of solid-state fermentation conditions on the monacolin K content of red yeast rice, proposing optimal temperature curves and pH parameters, and verifying that no citrinin was detected throughout the process (English source, academic primary source).↩23
- New Taipei News: "Shulin Distillery" joins hands with "New Taipei City International Youth Cultural Exchange Program" to create a Red Yeast Rice cultural experience — Local news report from May 2025, recording the collaboration between the private Shulin Distillery and the New Taipei City Museum of Art opening activities to promote red yeast rice culture, and the distillery's vision toward creating a Red Yeast Rice Cultural Center.↩2
- Official Website of Juchia Food — Official website of the local Shulin shop "Juchia Food," listing product lines such as Red Yeast Rice Sorghum Sausage, Red Yeast Rice Lemon Spicy Meat Jerky, and Red Yeast Rice Kyoho Grape Pork Jerky, along with its Bo'ai Street location.↩
- Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation Yilan Distillery: Red Yeast Paste Cooking Recipes — Official webpage of the Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation Yilan Distillery providing a recipe for hongzao pork, detailing traditional marinating and braising methods using pork belly, red yeast paste, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil (Official primary source).↩
- Health 2.0: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Red Yeast Rice in Japan Leads to 6 Cumulative Reports in Taiwan; 226 Products Preemptively Removed from Shelves — Health news report from April 2024, recording the controversy caused by citrinin detected in Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's red yeast rice ingredients leading to kidney disease, causing at least 5 deaths and 114 hospitalizations in Japan, and the Taiwan FDA's inspection results of preemptively removing 226 products.↩2
- Shulin Community College: 2014 New Taipei City Shulin Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival — Event announcement from Shulin Community College, recording the status of red yeast rice as the most important traditional cultural asset of Shulin District, and festival content such as food competitions and historical tours.↩2
- New Taipei City Tourism Website: 2025 New Taipei City Shulin Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival — Official event information from the New Taipei City Tourism Bureau, recording the time, location, and activities of the Red Yeast Rice Cultural Festival held at Longevity Park on September 13, 2025 (Official tourism resource, primary source).↩2
- Shulin District Office Facebook Page: Red Person Report—Shulin Distillery Chairman Liu Ching-tsih discusses "The Home of Red Yeast Rice" — A local report transcribed by the official Shulin District Office social media account, recording the history of the Shulin Red Yeast Rice Cultural Promotion Association being led by the chairman of Shulin Distillery to continue the spirit of Huang Chun-ching's introduction of red yeast rice.↩