Guizhou, China: A Glass of Sauce-Aroma Baijiu Brews a Journey

ZUNYI, China, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from CNS: As night falls, lights gradually come on in Moutai Town, Renhuai, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China, while a faint aroma of liquor drifts through the air.

Recently, a foreign media delegation consisting of 23 members from multiple countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, China, visited the Chishui River Valley to conduct a wine and tourism field study under the theme "Crafting a Better Life." In this core production area for China-style sauce-aroma baijiu, the journalists visited wine culture venues and actual wineries, observing how a glass of China baijiu connects with travel, culture, and local life.

At the China Liquor Culture City, more than 5,000 exhibits trace the development of Chinese baijiu. In 1915, Moutai liquor received an honor at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, drawing international attention to the spirit produced along the Chishui River.

More than a century later, baijiu is still being brewed here, but the ways of experiencing it have become more diverse.

At Hengchang Shaofang Winery, 77 fermentation pits in six reconstructed traditional workshops are still in operation using traditional techniques. Visitors can watch the brewing process up close, try blending and liquor-sealing experiences, visit art exhibitions, or stay at the hotel within the complex. A place where liquor is produced has also become a travel destination.

"This is not a tourism setting built separately for visitors. People can walk directly into a real brewing site," said one overseas media journalist.

Such changes are unfolding along the Chishui River Valley. Zunyi now has 27 star-rated distinctive wineries and 14 liquor-tourism attractions. From January to October 2025, Renhuai received 10.0559 million tourist visits and generated 12.791 billion yuan in tourism revenue.

In 2026, Guizhou further proposed promoting the baijiu industry from product sales toward lifestyle experiences, linking wineries, dining, accommodation, culture and the landscapes of the Chishui River Valley.

For the visiting overseas journalists, getting to know Guizhou's sauce-aroma baijiu was no longer simply about tasting a drink. Watching how it is brewed, experiencing the environment in which it is produced, and spending a night at a winery together reveal a fuller picture of Guizhou, China.