Photos taken on December 13, 2025 show residents buying winter rice-wine at an agricultural market in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, ahead of Dongzhi, or the Winter Solstice, which falls on December 21. (Photo/CFP)

Suzhou has a long-standing tradition of drinking locally brewed rice-wine on the night of the Winter Solstice, a key traditional festival marking the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Brewed from glutinous rice, the wine is distinctively flavored with tiny osmanthus petals. Mildly sweet, it has a very low alcohol content, generally below 5%.