Lightly Intoxicated China | From Shaoxing's Time-honored Brands to the Global Stage: The International Journey of Huangjiu

From July 9th to 11th, the aroma of Shaoxing rice wine filled the exhibition hall in Tokyo, Japan. A large lineup of 11 rice wine enterprises, including Gu Yue Longshan, Huiji Mountain, Tapai, and Nüer Hong, appeared at the 2025 Japan International Food and Beverage Exhibition (JFEX) with a "bandwagon" approach, marking the largest "rice wine expedition" this year. This collective appearance is not only a consolidation of Japan, the largest export market, but also a vivid practice of China's internationalization strategy for rice wine. As the person in charge of the Shaoxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce and the Trade Promotion Association said: "Rice wine is a golden business card for Shaoxing's foreign trade exports," and how to make this business card shine in the world wine map has become a major issue facing China's rice wine industry. The collective expedition of Shaoxing rice wine enterprises to Japan is by no means a sudden decision. Data shows that Shaoxing rice wine ...