SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On December 7th and 8th, visitors lined up to see the wonder of a Moutai themed event at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Moutai, the renowned Chinese baijiu brand, made its debut outside China on Panama Expo in the city 110 years ago. By celebrating the 110-year-anniversary, Moutai restated its commitment to indulging spirit lovers around the globe and demonstrated the brand philosophy sitting on aging. The grand event offered an immersive and engaging experience to know about the Chinese baijiu, past and present.
I. Returning to the Origin: Coordinates of a Liquor and a City in Time
The bond between Moutai and San Francisco dates a long while back.
In 1915, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition was held in San Francisco. This world’s fair, the largest in the first half of the 20th century, lasted nearly 10 months, becoming a collective memory for San Franciscans and an early celebration of globalization, as well as the starting point for Moutai’s global expansion. Moutai, stored in the earthenware jars, traveled across the ocean and made its international debut here, winning a Gold Medal. This has long been written into the shared history of the brand and the City of San Francisco.
A century later, in 2015, San Francisco’s then-mayor Edwin Lee designated November 12 as “San Francisco Moutai Day,” recognizing the brand’s role in fostering cultural exchange between China and the United States and strengthening local economic ties. The milestone made Moutai the first eastern brand to be honored with an official commemorative day in a major Western city – marking its evolution from a diplomatic spirit to a global cultural emblem.
By 2025, Moutai had grown into a global spirits powerhouse with a market value approaching 282 billion U.S. dollars, and had become one of China’s most recognizable cultural ambassadors.
These three milestones clearly outline Moutai’s wake to become a world-class player. Moutai’s global journey began with that 1915 Medal won in San Francisco. For a long time since 1949, Moutai had served as a cultural envoy in China’s diplomatic events, extending China’s warm hospitality to guests like President Nixon and those at the Geneva Conference. With the climbing of Moutai’s production capacity, the famous baijiu has been gaining popular appreciation, and breaking its diplomats exclusive status. Today, Moutai is purposefully cultivating its world market while standing fast in its core production region and embracing ESG value, and a global community of “Moutai Aficionados” is gradually coming into being.
The return of the Moutai delegation, led by Group Vice General Manager Zhang Guichao, to its world fame origin in San Francisco is a latest move to stronghold the brand’s global aspirations and a kind gesture to the northern American market.
II. Discovering Shared Memories: Activating Brand Resonance Through Historical Depth
The two-day cultural exhibition, “San Francisco: In Search of Our Shared Memories，A Chinese Brand’s Perspective on 1915,” was led by a replica of a 1915 Exposition commemorative postcard and unfolded through four chapters: “Shared Memory of 1915,” “A World Progressing in 1915,” “Moutai at the 1915 Expo,” and “Setting Sail for 2025.” This structure systematically brought this century-spanning memory back to life, creating a vivid and interactive dialogue space.
Guests enjoyed Moutai cocktails at the bar in the prologue hall, in a relaxed atmosphere filled with jazz music and began their exploration. American “Moutai Aficionados” enthusiastically viewed and discussed with their peers. The transcending from a commercial activity to a cultural event illustrates the wide recognition and trust Moutai has gained over the past century.
A unique art installation named Jinshan recreated the historical moment of the opening of the Panama Canal in moving projection, taking viewers back to that era of industrial wonders. The screen paneled wall, which recorded 31 participating countries and 18 million visitors in Panama Expo, also drew in crowds.
From the photos of the Chishui River wharf, by which Moutai was made, in the early 20th century, to the first employee roster of Moutai, the handwritten factory history, and finally that precious Expo medal, these tangible exhibits enabled the American public not only to “see the story”, but also to “touch history”, and to feel the Chinese national brand’s holding fast on craftsmanship and ecological values.
The brilliance of the exhibition lay in skillfully integrating Moutai’s brand history into the urban memory of San Francisco and the civilizational history of World Expos, providing a panoramic perspective for the century-old story. This method of showcasing “shared memory” effectively bridged cultural barriers, transforming Moutai from a historical award winner into an active storyteller and witness to history.
According to cultural scholars in San Francisco, this exhibition filled in a gap in the local memory of the Expo by providing an Eastern perspective. Moutai used material objects and vivid narratives to prove that cultural heritage and compelling brand stories could break cultural boundaries.” For Moutai, the grand narrative of the exhibition itself was a direct expression of “Moutai embracing the world and growing in sync with global civilizations, and its vision.” It made faded old photographs, authentic historical documents, precious archival materials, and warm urban memories interplay and shine, ultimately converging into a “cultural memory event” that the public could perceive, participate in, and inherit.
III. Toasting at “Moutai Night”: Crafting Shared Value Through Aroma
On the evening of December 7, Kweichow Moutai hosted a Moutai Night to commemorate the 110 Years Journey to the World, honoring the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Expo Gold Medal and the 2015 Establishment of the ‘San Francisco Moutai Day’.
Guests of distinguished political and business backgrounds from the United States, along with Chinese diplomats to the US, Moutai’s American distributors and aficionados attended the celebration.
Moutai Group Chairman Chen Hua welcomed guests via video at the gala. “San Francisco is where our global story began,” said Chen. “From here, Moutai’s reputation spread and grew, evolving into the world’s leading spirits brand and a truly global icon of Chinese craftsmanship.” Chen noted that Moutai is made using one of the oldest and most intricate fermentation methods in the world, with every drop reflecting generations of Chinese skill and tradition. He also warmly invited guests to visit Guizhou to experience the unique terroir behind Moutai.
Representatives from the Chinese Consulate and San Francisco City Government congratulated Moutai on its dual-anniversary and recognized its positive role in promoting understanding, friendship and cooperation between China and the U.S.
During the banquet, guests enjoyed baijiu and fine cuisine along with meticulously arranged stage shows, including a short film named 1915 to 2025: Kweichow Moutai: A 110 Years Journey to the World. The Chinese and Western cultural elements in shows made an attempt to formulate shared value and raised heated talks among guests.
Through its series of events in the United States, Moutai demonstrates its commitment to actively integrating into the local market and takes the initiative to act as a friendly envoy promoting cultural exchange between the two countries.
From now on, when people recall the glory of San Francisco in 1915, the aroma of Moutai will become an indispensable footnote in those memories. As a world-renowned brand refined through millennia-old craftsmanship, Kweichow Moutai’s journey with the world continues to intertwine with global cultural progress – together distilling the next century-long chapter.
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