Character Profile

Luo Qingzhong, a native of Maotai Town in Renhuai City, Guizhou Province, served as the first deputy director, trade union chairman, and chief commander of technical expansion and renovation research at the Maotai Distillery. In 1956, the Guizhou Provincial Light Industry Department convened the Maotai Liquor Pilot Committee. By 1965, under Luo Qingzhong’s leadership, this committee, after years of scientific experimentation and systematic analysis, had established the classification of three typical aroma types for Guizhou Maotai liquor—sauce‑aroma, mellow‑sweet, and cellar‑bottom—and officially announced at the first National Baijiu Research Conference in Luzhou that Maotai’s aroma style was “sauce‑aroma,” commonly referred to as the “Three‑Aroma Standard.” This marked a milestone in the classification of Chinese baijiu aroma styles. The quality standards for the sauce‑aroma baijiu “Three‑Aroma Standard,” jointly developed by Luo Qingzhong and the earlier generation of Maotai artisans, have become the production quality benchmarks for modern Maotai liquor.

Character Background

In 1951, he joined the revolutionary cause (prior to that, he had worked as an apprentice at the Huamao Distillery, where he learned baijiu brewing and blending).

In 1953, he was transferred from the district government to work at the Moutai Distillery.

In 1955, he served as the head of the Secretariat Section at the Moutai Distillery.

In 1956, he served as chairman of the factory’s trade union. In November of that year, he attended the National Congress of Advanced Workers convened by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and was received in Zhongnanhai by central leaders including Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yun, and Deng Xiaoping.

He joined the Communist Party of China in 1958.

In 1960, he served as the deputy director of the Kweichow Moutai Distillery.

In 1964, he participated in the work of the Moutai Liquor Pilot Committee established under the auspices of the Guizhou Provincial Light Industry Union, serving as Deputy Commander of the technical expansion project.

In 1965, after years of scientific experimentation and systematic analysis, the pilot working committee led by [name omitted] established the classification of three typical aroma types for Guizhou Moutai liquor—sauce‑aroma, mellow‑sweet, and cellar‑bottom—and officially announced at the first National Baijiu Scientific Research Conference in Luzhou that Moutai’s aroma style was “sauce‑aroma,” commonly referred to as the “Three‑Aroma Standardization.” This marked a significant milestone in the classification of aroma styles within China’s baijiu industry.

In 1966, the Moutai Pilot Committee led by Luo Qingzhong, after two production cycles of experimentation, elucidated the production principles of Moutai liquor and fundamentally standardized the traditional operating procedures, thereby establishing the modern quality standards for Moutai production.

In 1978, he concurrently served as the deputy commander of the “Seventh Five-Year Plan” expansion project at the Moutai Distillery.

The Luo Qingzhong Advanced Worker Award is presented to…

In October 1980, the Guizhou Provincial Department of Light Industry awarded Luo Qingzhong a bonus of 500 yuan in recognition of his achievement in identifying the three aroma types that constitute Moutai liquor.

In October 1986, the Moutai Distillery held a commemorative event marking the brand’s third win of an international gold medal. At the ceremony, the Guizhou Provincial Department of Light and Textile Industries presented honorary certificates and a bonus of 800 yuan to veteran employees with 30 or more years of service, as well as to those who had made significant contributions.

Certificate of Thirty Consecutive Years of Service from the Maotai Distillery, Luo Qingzhong

In December 1992, the People’s Government of Renhuai County awarded him the “Certificate of Honor for Outstanding Professional and Technical Talent.” Please see the image titled “Certificate of Honor for Outstanding Professional and Technical Talent—Luo Qingzhong.”

Luo Qingzhong was awarded the Renhuai County Certificate for Outstanding Professional and Technical Talent.

In August 1994, he retired from the Moutai Distillery. The People’s Government of Guizhou Province awarded him a “Certificate of Outstanding Contribution in Engineering and Technology” and granted him a special allowance.

Certificate of Special Allowance for Engineering and Technical Personnel – Luo Qingzhong

In 1999, in order to pass down the art of sauce‑aroma baijiu to future generations, Luo Qingzhong entrusted his lifelong mastery of brewing and blending techniques to his descendants and established the “Jinniu Distillery” in Maotai Town, thus embarking on an independent brewing venture.

In November 2001, China’s Kweichow Moutai Distillery awarded it a certificate commemorating “Fifty Years of Outstanding Contributions to the National Liquor, Moutai.” The “Jinniu Distillery” was officially renamed “Huacheng Liquor Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.”

Certificate of Special Contribution from the Maotai Distillery, Luo Qingzhong

Huacheng Wine Industry Group Co., Ltd.

Main Achievements

In 1956, the Guizhou Provincial Light Industry Department established the Moutai Liquor Pilot Committee. In 1965, under the leadership of Luo Qingzhong, the committee—after years of scientific experimentation—formulated and officially recognized the classification of Moutai liquor into three distinct aroma types: sauce‑fragrance, mellow‑sweet, and cellar‑bottom. At the first National Baijiu Scientific Research Conference held in Luzhou, the committee formally announced that Moutai’s aroma style was “sauce‑fragrance,” commonly referred to as the “Three‑Aroma Standard.” This marked the beginning of a new era for sauce‑fragrance baijiu. The quality standards for the Three‑Aroma Classification of sauce‑fragrance baijiu, jointly developed by Luo Qingzhong and the pioneering generation of Moutai artisans, became the benchmark for modern Moutai production and represented a landmark milestone in the classification of Chinese baijiu aroma styles.

Luo Qingzhong

Artisanal Heritage

To ensure that the art of sauce‑aroma baijiu endures for generations, Old Master Luo passed down his lifetime‑acquired secrets of brewing and blending to his descendants. Huacheng Liquor Industry (Group) is the enterprise he personally founded and which has been entrusted to his direct lineage. The company meticulously adheres to Old Master Luo’s time‑honored traditional methods—the Three‑Aroma Standardization Technique—and his family‑passed‑down Yin‑Yang Blending Method, painstakingly crafting each series of sauce‑aroma baijiu. Its products boast a distinctive sauce aroma, elegant finesse, a full-bodied character, a lingering finish, and an unforgettable aftertaste—qualities that keep the allure of sauce‑aroma baijiu lingering in the empty cup for days on end.