18 guizhouspecial MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 DAILY Exchange promotes as investment By ZHAO KAI in , [email protected]

Th e Guizhou Liquor Exchange, a new platform for trading liquor, formally opened on Sept 6 in Guiyang, signifying the further development of the province’s alcoholic products as luxury commodities for investment. Th e opening of the exchange was one

The opening ceremony of the China (Guizhou) International Alcoholic Beverage Expo on Sept 9. PHOTOS BY ZHANG WEI / CHINA DAILY of a series of events for the second China (Guizhou) International Alcoholic Bever- age Expo. Th e establishment of the platform, the first in Guizhou and the second in the country, means fi nished liquor and base Alcohol expo bigger than ever liquor can be traded through fi nancing like stock shares and funds. By YE JUN The local government Shen Yiqin, vice-governor of the ing raw materials and finished Th ere are at least 10 liquor-trading plat- in Guiyang, Guizhou is working to make province, said at a press conference products as well as packaging and forms in China, which were mostly set up [email protected] on Sept 8 that the theme of this related products. in 2011. In September 2011, China’s fi rst the expo a grand year’s expo is to “display great brews Some Guizhou liquor compa- liquor exchange for , a type of clear China’s fi nest and beers international from around the world and pro- nies promoted their products by Chinese liquor, was founded in . were joined by some of the best gathering for the mote exchange and cooperation”. employing people dressed in the While the exchange in Sichuan mostly alcoholic beverages the world industry. Guizhou will Shen said local governments will traditional clothing of their respec- deals with a variety of baijiu characterized has to offer at the second China work with renowned Chinese and tive ethnic groups. Guizhou has 48 by its strong fragrance, the Guizhou Liquor (Guizhou) International Alcoholic ‘‘ improve the expo to foreign liquor and wine companies ethnic groups, and many famous Exchange deals with so-called sauce fra- Beverage Expo, which kicked off develop it as a window to build the expo into an interna- liquors were developed by these grance baijiu, said Chen , chairman of yesterday in Guiyang, capital of to the outside world tionally famous event. indigenous cultures. the Guizhou Liquor Exchange southwest China’s Guizhou prov- as well as a platform Guizhou is known for produc- A special section has been set “Despite the fact that Guizhou’s liquor ince. ing China’s famed Moutai baijiu, aside for foreign wines, including is widely known, we don’t have such a A total of 20,000 exhibitors and to attract business a type of clear Chinese liquor. But some from France, Australia and big share of the country’s overall market,” traders are expected to attend over and investment. the expo also showcases other New Zealand. Some brands rep- Chen said. the course of the five-day event, renowned liquors from around the resented at the expo are chateaus In 2010, the sales volume of Moutai, which runs from Sept 9 to 13. PARTY CHIEF AND GOVERNOR OF country as well as wine, beer, whis- Lafi te, Latour, Mouton and Mar- the province’s most well-known brand, At a press conference on Sept 8, GUIZHOU key and other alcoholic beverages gaux. reached 14 billion yuan ($220.68 million), organizers announced that a total from all over the world. , home to Moutai and an accounting for about 80 percent of the of more than 1,300 exhibitors have tion Center. year by year to develop it as a win- Famous brands of baijiu from array of other brands of so-called liquor sales value of Guizhou province. applied to participate, including Two hundred contracts, with a dow to the outside world as well as other parts of the country — Wul- sauce fragrance baijiu, held a press However the industry needs more than more than 660 from overseas and combined value of 168.5 billion a platform to attract business and iangye, Fenjiu, Xifengjiu, Dongjiu conference on Sept 8 to introduce just Moutai, Chen said. nearly 700 from China. Th ere are yuan ($26.56 billion), were signed investment. and Yanghe — will be exhibited its development and investment “We are lucky to have Moutai, the clear three times as many foreign exhibi- at the opening ceremony. More- Exhibitors and traders include in No 1 hall along with Guizhou’s cooperation plan. Renhuai pro- Chinese spirit that is also the national tors as last year. And some 6,100 over, a total of more than 1,900 business people from 43 countries Moutai. duces 80 percent of the province’s liquor of China, but other brands also need merchants will also attend. investment projects totaling 247.6 and regions, including France, the Th e exhibition area for this year’s sauce fragrance baijiu and accounts to seize the opportunity and expand their Th is year’s event by far eclipses billion yuan will be promoted dur- United Kingdom, Australia, New event has grown to 80,000 square for 85 percent of production value. business in order to boost the whole indus- the one last year, when more than ing the expo. Both fi gures exceeded Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and meters, 50 percent more than last Uyunqimg, vice-chairperson try,” Chen said. 800 Chinese and foreign compa- last year’s numbers. the special administra- year. All countries and regions that of the Standing Committee of the Eff ective marketing is considered vital nies attended the expo along with Zhao Kezhi, Party chief and gov- tive region. rank among the top 10 in terms National People’s Congress NPC, to the business, which is why the liquor- nearly 10,000 business people. ernor of Guizhou, says the local Zhao said organizing the expo of alcoholic beverage trade with announced the opening of the exchange platform was established. What Guizhou citizens can go to banks government is working to make helps to raise the reputation and China are participating, organiz- expo. Bai Licheng, vice-chairman sets it apart from other platforms in to get free tickets to the expo, which the expo a grand international infl uence of Guizhou. It also stimu- ers said. of the Chinese people’s Political and is that the Guizhou exchange is being held at the Guiyang Inter- gathering for the industry. He said lates faster and better economic The entire industrial chain is Consultative Conference, also is the first to implement financing and national Conference and Exhibi- Guizhou will improve the expo development. represented at the expo, includ- attended the opening ceremony. electronic commerce, Chen said. “The particularity of baijiu makes it valuable for collecting and storage just like some fi ne wines, the quality of which improves with age,” said Han Xuesong, deputy general manager of the Guizhou Expo visitors get taste liquor exchange. “People are willing to put their money into quality liquor as an investment, but of local ethnic culture they need a platform to monitor price changes just like that of futures trading.” By XIE FANG and ally produced from rough alcohol Han said bringing fi nancing into liquor SU JIANGYUAN made with high-quality wheat, trading allows buyers to track the market of in Guiyang, Guizhou locally produced high-quality sor- listed companies and know when to buy in ghum and water from the Chishui or sell out. In addition, the exchange off ers a As visitors to the second China River that runs through the town. business-to-customer electronic commerce (Guizhou) International Alcoholic The traditional method involves platform, which will make it convenient for Beverage Expo sample the prov- at least eight cycles of fermenta- dealers to track their investment. ince’s many varieties of liquor, they tion and nine rounds of high-tem- “We are also the fi rst liquor exchange in will also be getting a taste of the perature distillation under strict China that has extensive cooperation with diverse ethnic cultures that pro- conditions. Aft er the processes, the fi nancial institutions, such as banks, trusts duce them. liquor batches are stored at least and securities,” Han said. The province’s ethnic groups fi ve years in jars before they are put “Various types of liquor-related fi nancial have played an important role in on the market.” products will be jointly developed and the development of the province’s Wang said he believes that the brought to our investors.” alcohol industry, said Wang Shizuo, techniques for making Moutai were Guizhou’s Vice-Governor Meng Qiliang a professor at . passed down from the ancestors of said the liquor exchange brings innova- Wang’s research has shown that the Gelao people and improved tive fi nancing to the liquor industry, cre- the traditional alcohol culture of generation aft er generation. Visitors line up to try wine at the booth of Australia’s Ausino Rose Valley Estate at the Guizhou Alcoholic ating a bridge to connect investors with the Gelao ethnic group has been Yuan Renguo, chairman of the Beverage Expo. the province’s alcoholic beverage industry. vital to the emergence of Moutai, Group, supports Th e surge of external investment will help the nation’s most famous liquor. the professor’s fi ndings. are fond of drinking homemade boost the development of the industry. The so-called national liquor “According to historical records, rice wine and corn wine. “Accelerating the development of the of China, Moutai is one of three in 135 BC an envoy named Tang “They have a custom to share liquor industry has been a major task for world-famous liquors, along with Meng drank sauce-fl avored liquor guests among village members. the government of Guizhou,” Meng said. Scotch whisky and French cognac. produced in Guguo (today’s When one family has guests com- “Th e liquor exchange is an ideal way to Named aft er the town of , Moutai Town) and brought some ing, the whole village will regard expand our infl uence and attract attention the town of where it originated, the to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynas- them as their own guests. They from the outside world.” alcoholic product is known world- ty (156-87 BC). Th e emperor spoke are invited to all the households Chen said several foreign wine com- wide for its characteristic pure highly of the liquor, and it was in the village to alcohol,” panies have already shown great interest and transparent color as well as its regarded as Guizhou’s tribute to said Zhang Zaibin, chairman of in the liquor exchange and are willing to strong, mellow fragrance, smooth the royal family.” the Guizhou Xiongzheng Alcohol cooperate with local distilleries. taste, and cool and refreshing fl a- Th e alcohol has grown in pop- Factory. “A lot of them are from Spain or France, vor. ularity since then and was intro- Another famous brand, - both of which are countries famous in the Wang’s research discovered that duced to the Western world when zhouchun alcohol, was originally wine industry. Th e synergy between wine the ancestors of today’s Gelao peo- Mao Zedong served Moutai at state produced in Xingyi, another place and baijiu will generate a magical chemis- ple started living in communities dinners during ’s mainly occupied by the Bouyei try,” Chen said. in the Maotai region thousands of state visit to China in 1972. His people. The alcohol has gained “It will grant local companies a great years ago. At that time, the geog- Secretary of State fame around the world thanks to opportunity to foray into overseas mar- raphy in the region was extremely remarked to that “if its clear appearance, rich grain and People of the Dong and Miao ethnic groups promote diverse ethnic kets and make the industry much more suitable for alcohol production, we drink enough Moutai, we can classic taste. cultures at a booth displaying Qingjiu alcohol. globalized.” After a few months of pilot and so it spawned a strong alcohol- solve anything.” Despite its success, the Bouyei group live. Th e have As Wang said, Guizhou’s alcohol operations, the liquor exchange completed producing culture. Other renowned Guizhou alco- people have not stopped innovat- more than 100 festivals, the most industry, led by the increasingly its fi rst deal in August. More than 1,600 “Maotai’s unique setting and hols also have their own cultural ing new alcoholic beverages. To famous being the Lusheng Festi- popular Moutai, is gradually tak- buyers succeeded in buying 62,500 jars of climate account for the sauce-like stories. Both Guizhou Xiongzheng meet the demand for alcohol with a val, Gucang Festival and Sisters’ ing shape thanks to the province’s liquor worth 50 million yuan. fragrance of the liquor,” Wang alcohol and Guizhou Longcheng soft er taste, they recently produced Meal Festival. unique mix of splendid ethnic cul- “Th e liquor exchange will form a luxury explained. “Th e town is surround- alcohol trace their roots back to and developed a newcomer named Qingjiu alcohol is indispens- ture and innovative spirits. consumer market for Guizhou liquor and ed by three mountains. Th is natural the ancient Bouyei ethnic group, Qixiang. able at all of the festivals. Th e low- a fi nancial market for investment in the ‘cage’ produces the proper humid- according to the producers of those Qingjiu alcohol is another of alcohol sticky-rice wine, generally Contact the writers at province’s liquor industry. Our goal is for ity and temperature that make it an types of liquors. the province’s liquor brands, and stored for generations, is oft en used [email protected] and the transaction volume of the exchange to ideal venue for liquor production.” Th e , who live in a it originated in Guizhou’s south- to treat guests and refl ects the Miao sujiangyuan@ reach 100 billion yuan by the end of 2020,” “Sauce-fragrance liquor is gener- natural and beautiful environment, east, where the Miao ethnic people’s honesty and warmth. chinadaily.com.cn Meng said.