From a Small Town to the World Stage: A Historical Survey of the Development of Maotai Liquor in China (1915-1935)

Abstract

The presence of Maotai Liquor at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition has become the focus of research in China. Why was Maotai Liquor selected as a product to represent China at that time? How did it move from a remote village to the world stage? What criteria did the Expo organizers use to make the awards? Did Maotai Liquor really win an award? On what basis did it win the medal? What was the follow-up development and impact? These are questions that have initiated few comprehensive studies. This paper reveals the historical reasons why Maotai Liquor became a famous local product during the period of late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic. It discusses changes in the location of Maotai Liquor caused by major historical events, such as changes in the administrative system of the Maotai region during the Qing Dynasty, the dredging of the Chishui River for navigation, and the arrival of Sichuan salt in Guizhou. By studying its extraordinary history, this paper points out that the spread of Maotai Liquor's reputation was not accidental but it was closely related to changes in the local history, regional environmental characteristics and the national development which embody profound interaction between people and products, commodities and cultures, material civilization and spiritual pursuit. It also demonstrates the important position of liquor in Chinese culture.