The jar is said to be used by Zheng He's sailors to carry Fenjiu during their journeys. WEN ZHAOYAN/FOR CHINA DAILY

The seven voyages by renowned Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) navigator Zheng He marked the peak of international commercial and cultural exchanges in ancient China.

These expeditions also marked the first peak time for Shanxi-made liquor, or Fenjiu, to go global.

According to historical records, Fenjiu was first used to meet the demand of sailors during their lengthy journeys.

Later, the fleet members found additional functions of the liquor. It could be used as the earliest version of the Molotov cocktail, because of its high purity, to fend off and scare away pirates, and also as gifts to guests in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. They later found the liquor was well-received on the markets along the voyage routes so they brought with them a larger quantity of Fenjiu for sales in later voyages.

Records from the royal archive institution of the Ming Dynasty particularly mentioned the popularity of Fenjiu among the noble families and ordinary consumers in the region of Cape Comorin, the southern tip of India.

The records are also proved by the exhibits at a museum in Cape Comorin－jars and bottles for Fenjiu as gifts to the local king and nobles. There are also similar exhibits at museums in the Maldives.

Despite its glorious history, Shanxi-made liquor began its large-scale expedition overseas in the early 20th century.

It reached its peak of international recognition when Fenjiu, a brand owned by Xinghuacun Fenjiu Group, won a gold medal during the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, the United States. Since then, it has become one of the representatives of Chinese liquor products in the international market.

In recent years, Xinghuacun Fenjiu Group has accelerated its pace of globalization by forging partnerships with more overseas dealers and opening more sales outlets.

To further increase its brand recognition, the group organized more than 200 experience and promotion events in 2021 in dozens of countries including Singapore, Thailand, the US and France.

By YUAN SHENGGAO