Brewing Trouble | Sixth Tone
Wu Huiyuan—Sixth Tone
China’s national liquor is baijiu, an alcohol distilled from fermented sorghum. Maotai, the most renowned brand of baijiu, has been brewed in the town of Maotai, Guizhou province, in southwestern China for centuries, and in recent decades has been a staple of lavish official banquets and a widely accepted currency for bribes. Up until a few years ago, almost everyone in the town of Maotai was involved in the business. But, according to Sixth Tone, Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has caused the sales of baijiu to plummet. In this story, photographer Wu Huiyuan looks at how the famed liquor controls the fate of the town, and what the future holds for its residents.
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China’s national liquor is baijiu, an alcohol distilled from fermented sorghum. Maotai, the most renowned brand of baijiu, has been brewed in the town of Maotai, Guizhou province, in southwestern China for centuries, and in recent decades has been a staple of lavish official banquets and a widely accepted currency for bribes. Up until a few years ago, almost everyone in the town of Maotai was involved in the business. But, according to Sixth Tone, Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has caused the sales of baijiu to plummet. In this story, photographer Wu Huiyuan looks at how the famed liquor controls the fate of the town, and what the future holds for its residents.