The China Xinghuacun International Alcoholic Drinks Expo 2023 opens in Fenyang on Aug 19. [Photo provided to goshanxi.com.cn] 

The China Xinghuacun International Alcoholic Drinks Expo 2023 opened in Fenyang, a county-level city famous for liquor production, in Lyuliang, North China's Shanxi province, on Aug 19. 

With five exhibition halls, the expo, which lasts until Aug 21, features 11 specialized areas for alcoholic beverages, equipment and packaging materials. A permanent exhibition hall for China's famous liquors has been specially set up to provide a year-round showcase platform for beverage makers and enterprises.

Foreign guests tour the expo. [Photo provided to goshanxi.com.cn] 

Dozens of international wine, distilled spirits, and liqueur brands and companies from various countries are participating in the expo. Chile has been invited as the guest of honor, promoting its wine, tourism, and culture at the expo. 

"We hope to deepen our cooperation with China in the future, as our future is a blue ocean," said Rene Mauricio Hurtado Navia, the Chilean Ambassador to China. "Bilateral cooperation is crucial for the development of the wine industry," he added. 

The two countries will make shared progress in promoting technology, innovation, and sustainable development.

A view of the expo. [Photo provided to goshanxi.com.cn] 

With 6,000 years' history of brewing white spirits, Lyuliang is one of the world's 10 top liquor-producing regions, while Xinghuacun in Fenyang ranks as the birthplace and core production area for Chinese fragrant white spirits, nurturing renowned brands such as Fenjiu and Zhuyeqing. 

Last September, Xinghuacun Fenjiu was recognized as one of the first 10 provincial-level characteristic towns in China. In 2022, Fenyang had 485 liquor-related enterprises, with a liquor production output of 177,000 kiloliters, accounting for four-fifths of the province's liquor production and one-fifth of its output of national fragrant white spirits. 

Capitalizing on the success of Xinghuacun Fenjiu characteristic town, Lyuliang has been promoting the recent boom of its local liquor industry. 

According to Mayor Zhang Guangyong, the city has 485 upstream and downstream liquor companies, with over 50,000 employees and an output value of 40 billion yuan ($5.48 billion). In the first half of this year, the city's liquor industry achieved 25 percent growth, raising Lyuliang's GDP by 1.3 percentage points. 

"We will make efforts to reach a liquor production output of 500,000 kiloliters, an output value exceeding 50 billion yuan, annual tourist visits of 5 million, and an annual net income of over 5 billion yuan from the cultural and tourism industry by the end of 2025," said Zhang.