A traditional wine vessel exhibited in front of a painting showing the drinking history of the Chinese people. [Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com]

On August 11, 2009, we finally got a chance to go to the museum and experience the colorful and legend-rich history of Maotai liquor.

"Maotai has a long history of being brewed, dating back to the Han Dynasty. More than 2,000 years ago, a type of fruit liquor was produced, which was called 'ju jiang'. It was sweet and tasty. One court official took a sample of it to Han Wudi, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, who called it 'honey-like nectar.' It became the first recorded case of Maotai," our guide gave us a history lesson about Maotai.

The museum traces Maotai's history of development, from a simple wine maker to a world-renowned liquor brandname, through paintings, old photos and some famous historic models and statues.

As early as in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Maotai became the first excellent wine brand in large-scale production. It had an annual output of 170 tons, which was very rare in China's wine-brewing history.

Before 1949, there were three main wine factories in Guizhou, whose products were called Hua Mao, Wang Mao and Lai Mao. Among them, Hua Mao was the predecessor of today's Maotai liquor.