SHENYANG, July 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Ninety-three kilograms of ancient spirits made in 1845 during the Qing Dynasty were auctioned off for a total of 5.58 million yuan (674,728 US dollars) on Sunday in Guangzhou, south China.

　　The auction price reached 64,000 yuan (7,739 US dollars) per kilogram, hitting a record high in China's liquor-selling history,said Zhang Guangxin, board chairman of the Lingchuan Daoguang Liquor Co. Ltd., who unearthed the spirits in June 1996 when dismantling old workshops during a relocation in Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province in northeast China.

　　Authorized by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the auction had intended to sell 100 kilograms of the ancient alcoholic drink, which is dubbed as China's "edible cultural treasure".

　　The white spirit, with a total hoard of over four tons, was originally filled in four antique wine containers.

　　Though buried underground for 151 years, the yellowish liquid is still potable and fragrant and has been included in the Guinness Book of Records as the "world's oldest cellar-stored white spirit".

　　The funds collected from the auction will be fully devoted to the research and protection of unearthed spirits, Zhang Guangxin said. Enditem