A South African foreign ministry official receives Xinghuacun Fenjiu liquor from the brand's dealer representatives. [Photo by Wen Zhaoyan for China Daily]

Residents in South Africa, as well as attendees to the 2023 BRICS Summit, were offered an opportunity last month to taste the white liquor varieties produced by famous Shanxi distillery company Xinghuacun Fenjiu and experience the culture associated with the brand.

BRICS refers to the five countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, representing emerging markets in the world. The summit was held in South Africa from Aug 22-24.

According to Yan Yuliang, general manager of Newrgy Trading, the dealer for Xinghuacun Fenjiu in South Africa, Fenjiu-branded white liquor was selected by the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the designated beverage for banquets during the event. The agreement between Newrgy and the ministry was signed on Aug 18.

Xinghuacun Fenjiu was officially launched in the South African market on Aug 5. On that day, Newrgy hosted a launch ceremony in the city of Johannesburg, inviting local residents, business representatives and officials to a product release and liquor-tasting party.

The tasting event gave South African guests an experience somewhat different from what they would have with the liquor varieties found in local markets.

But more interestingly, according to Xinghuacun Fenjiu and its dealer representatives, guests at the event were pleased to have a chance to taste something that is a part of Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

The ancient techniques for making Fenjiu liquor were included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

In the Old Fenjiu Distillery, a museum owned by the company, visitors can still tap into the ancient techniques that have helped Xinghuacun's liquor brands retain their quality and popularity for hundreds of years. These techniques, still in use for making limited editions, include dry mixing of ingredients and yeast; fermenting in casks buried in the earth for temperature stabilization; and double distilling for improved purity.

A Fenjiu product that helped it first win international fame was from the old distillery. It won a gold prize at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, the United States, in 1915. After garnering attention from international buyers at the event, the company began exporting in large volumes, with its brands including Fenjiu and Zhuyeqing becoming popular in overseas markets.