Biography of Moutai
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Summary
How have the people of Moutai used these three simplest, most common, and least valuable local materials to brew the world's most complex, richest, and most expensive baijiu? As a state-owned enterprise, how has Moutai also driven the economic development of the Moutai Town area? Even China's baijiu industry has been redirected because of it, which in turn has changed contemporary China's consumer aesthetic tastes and even made it a symbol of Chinese culture?
This is a long story, full of mystery and contingency. It is not only commercial but also cultural; it is historical, yet highly contemporary and representative.
The book takes stock of major events in Moutai's development from 1951 to the present and traces the course of the company's growth. Based on field research and interviews with key figures, and combining financial writer Wu Xiaobo's detailed personal observation and original thinking, it presents Moutai's transformation from cultural accumulation to brand building in a panoramic way. With Moutai as the axis, it looks back at the history of China's commercial and economic system reform, explores the secret of how China's leading baijiu enterprise became world-famous, and explains the growth logic of innovation in Chinese indigenous brands.
Editor's review
The book's analysis of Moutai's "value of time" is especially incisive—from the brewing process's dependence on time, to the reputation the brand accumulated over history, to the financial attributes its products acquired in the market due to scarcity. Wu Xiaobo peels back each layer to reveal how a traditional industry built an almost monopolistic moat within modern commercial logic. For readers, the experience is twofold: on one hand, they gain detailed knowledge of Moutai as a company; on the other, and more importantly, the book prompts us to think about the complex ecosystem behind "Chinese-style business success." It offers no simple success formulas but presents a unique picture woven from opportunity, national conditions, culture, non-market factors, and entrepreneurial spirit—an important reference for understanding the deeper logic of contemporary Chinese business.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in China's business ecosystem and the growth stories of its leading domestic companies
- Researchers or practitioners who wish to understand the deep connections between branding, culture, and social psychology
- Investors and analysts interested in the consumer goods industry, the logic of luxury goods, or products with financial attributes
- General readers who enjoy Wu Xiaobo's macro-narrative style and hope to understand an era through a single case
Not a good fit for
- Those seeking short-term stock trading guides or insider revelations about Moutai
- Readers expecting purely technical brewing knowledge, tasting expertise, or local folklore
Reading tips
- It is recommended to read this book alongside Wu Xiaobo's works such as Thirty Years of Turbulence to build a more complete framework for understanding China's business transformation.
- While reading, pay particular attention to the role of non-market factors at several key turning points for Moutai (such as brand positioning adjustments and pricing system reforms), and consider their universality and specificity.
- After reading, consider reflecting on the questions the book raises about Moutai's 'ceiling' and sustainability in light of the current market environment, and form your own independent judgment.
About the publisher
Founded in 1988 and affiliated with China CITIC Group, CITIC Press focuses on business and economics, social sciences, literature and children's books, with common categories covering social sciences, finance, literature, Eastern philosophy and literary appreciation. Its library holds 91 titles, including Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens trilogy, Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Wu Xiaobo's Thirty Years of Strife: Chinese Enterprises 1978–2008, Nelly Sachs's The Weight of Butterflies: Selected Poems of Nelly Sachs, as well as New Interpretations of the Analects and Chiang Hsun's lectures on Dream of the Red Chamber. Its authors and translators include Lin Junhong, Ba Shusong, Chen Li and Chang Fen-ling. Overall, the press introduces influential works in finance and social sciences while balancing classic translation and local appreciation in literature and Eastern philosophy, combining academic depth with accessible reading.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前言 茅台六法：向茅台酒学什么？
- 酿酒术语
- 上部 烧房时代（1704—1950）
- 01 茅台镇的夜
- 02 白酒的起源
- 03 华家与王家
- 04 “毛泽东由此渡河”
- 05 赖茅十三年
- 中部 酒厂时代（1951—1978）
- 06 三房合并
- 07 “最特殊”的茅台酒
- 08 在传统中“挣扎”
- 09 “搞它一万吨”茅台酒
- 10 “茅台试点”
- 11 “我们是如何勾酒的”
- 12 艰难的秩序恢复
- 下部 激荡时代（1979年至今）
- 13 一香定天下
- 14 双重焦虑
- 15 到哪里去卖茅台酒
- 16 乱世定力
- 17 “恩人”
- 18 原产地效应
- 19 用户心智体系
- 20 时间与资本
- 21 茅台的年轻与科学精神
- 后记
FAQ
Is this book an officially authorized biography of Moutai?
Does the book explain the reasons for Moutai's high share price and high selling price?
Is this book difficult to understand for readers unfamiliar with the baijiu industry?
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About the author
Wu Xiaobo, born in Ningbo, Zhejiang in 1968, is a financial writer and a graduate of the Journalism Department of Fudan University. A visiting scholar at Harvard University, he is also the publisher of Blue Lion financial books. He has long engaged in company research, focusing on the history of Chinese enterprises and business cases, with works mainly in management and finance. His representative books include the Big Failure series, Thirty Years of Turbulence: Chinese Enterprises 1978–2008, Forty Years of Turbulence: Chinese Enterprises 1978–2018, Gains and Losses of Economic Reforms Across Dynasties, The Tencent Biography 1998–2016, and The Moutai Biography. The library holds 61 of his works. His writing is known for historical review and case analysis, placing corporate fortunes within changing times; it combines narrative with analysis and has a wide readership in financial reading. In 2009 he was named a Chinese Youth Leader of the Year by Southern People Weekly.
