Abstract:

The phenomenon of drunkenness exists in various civilizations, and is understood, regulated and shaped by them. In China, the long history of civilization endows drunkenness with various spiritual connotations. With the continuous evolution of the intellectual trend of the times, the concept of drunkenness was formed in an intermittent manner. From the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Han Dynasty, being crazily drunk was a normal state, and drunkenness fell down from sacredness to pure desire and hobby. After the Han Dynasty, lying drunk became the mainstream. With the establishment of taste thought in China, drinking has become the thinking method for the drinkers, and lying drunk has become their conscious inward spiritual exploration, and the sacredness of drunkenness was restored to a certain extent. Being crazily drunk is aggressive and opposing the world, while lying drunk is a state of doing nothing and being comfortable inside and outside. Those lying drunk refuse to find their stance in the secular society, and consciously approach the quiet and tranquil world of drunkenness, which shows that their pursuit transcends the worldly life. In this process, the body is disciplined and becomes weak and feeble, so that it no longer stands or acts, and the mind is free of thinking, full of leisure and joy. The evolution towards lying drunk reveals the Chinese people’s introverted and inward-turned cultural psychology, which suppresses the impact of wine, but also makes it difficult for the drunk to be strong and upright.

Key words: drunkenness, being crazily drunk, lying drunk, Chinese wine spirit