Xinghuacun Fenjiu dazzles at international show

Xinghuacun Fenjiu's representatives introduce liquor products to visitors at the Imbibe Live show. [Photo by Wen Zhaoyan for China Daily]

Xinghuacun Fenjiu, a renowned white liquor producer in Shanxi province, once again attracted the attention of international buyers with its presence at the Imbibe Live show held in London, the United Kingdom, earlier this month.

Imbibe Live was first held in 2010 and has become the largest alcoholic beverage exhibition in the UK over the past decade. This year's event was held from July 3-4.

The booth of Xinghuacun Fenjiu is a combination of Chinese and Western patterns, which capitalizes on visual elements comprised of traditional Chinese landscapes and modern architecture and elegant design.

The brand's historical association with poetry was highlighted in the decoration of its booth, with the lines of the renowned poem by Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) presented on a display that also featured landscape portraits inspired by the poem:

"A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Qingming Day.

The traveler's heart is going to break on the way.

Where can a liquor shop be found to drown his dismay?

A cowherd points to the apricot flower village far away."

The brand Xinghuacun is actually named after the poem, where Du described his mood during a trip on Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping Day, in April. In Chinese, Xinghuacun literally means apricot flower village.

While getting a glance into the brand's history and Chinese culture, many visitors had a taste of the company's liquor and spoke highly of its quality and unique flavor, showing great interest in its traditional distilling technology.

The varieties on show included the company's traditional brands of Zhuyeqing and Fenjiu, as well as the Panama and Silk Road brands designed for Western customers.

The Panama is designed to memorize its earliest but successful attempt to go global on a large scale.

It won a first prize at the Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco, the United States, in 1915. Since then, Xinghuacun Fenjiu brands have become popular in overseas markets.

Xinghuacun Fenjiu is now among the top three exporters in China's white liquor industry. To date, its products have been sold to more than 60 countries and regions, through its 50-plus overseas dealers and more than 9,000 outlets in foreign countries.