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When the first instruction battalion of the Red Army entered into Moutai, people all felt tired after long time of marching. They found that there were large quantities of liquor in the Town of Moutai, and they used it to wash their hands, faces and feet. Since Moutai can vivify blood and cure the inflammation, immediately the soldiers felt comfortable, and their tiredness of the long journey was relieved. When the soldiers were still excited, Zhou Enlai arrived at Moutai. When he saw the soldiers were using Moutai to wash faces and feet, he felt very angry, and said, "You are really ruining the saint!"

 

Then what's the reason that Zhou Enlai said "saint"? It was said that at the end of the East Han Dynasty Cao Cao controlled the court. One day, Minister Xu Miao was drunk, and it was at that time when Cao Cao sent for him. He could not hide and said, on the spur of the liquor, "Please go back and say to the Prime Minister that I was discussing things with the "saint", and thus I have no time." When the people assigned by Cao Cao heard "saint", he went back to reply to Cao Cao without knowing what that really was. Cao Cao was also bewildered, but he did not continue to ask something about it. Later when Xu Miao talked with his friends, he said, "I haven't thought that "saint" has saved my life." Since then, "saint" has become another name of liquor. It is obvious that Comrade Zhou Enlai used this name to criticize soldiers of the Red Army. He sincerely said, "Comrades, this is the Kweichow Moutai of our country that has won Gold Prize in Panama World's Fair!" Then he continued to tell stories about Moutai, and the Red Army men present there were all deeply moved.

 

At the National Day holiday of 1950, Premier Zhou decided to use Moutai as the liquor for the national banquet. However, at the eve of the National Day Holiday, there wasn't even a bottle of Moutai. Premier Zhou felt anxious. He asked his office to make calls to Kweichow, and he personally talked to Su Zhenhua, Secretary of CPC Kweichow Provincial Committee, asking him to urgently dispatch a batch of Moutai to Beijing.

 

Zhou Enlai could drink, but he seldom drank much. On diplomatic occasions, Zhou Enlai often used liquor as the topic to alleviate and activate the atmosphere. In all national banquets, from meeting in Geneva, or the visit to China by Nixon, Premier Zhou used Moutai to treat guests and visitors.

 

In 1971, at the order of Nixon, Kissinger secretly visited China. When he went to China, the mystery of China made him nervous. In order to activate the mood, when Zhou Enlai shook hands with them, the Premier tried his best to find topics to talk with them. During the banquet, Zhou Enlai joked with Rady and Mcclaud, special agents of the US, "You should take care. Our Moutai will make you drunk. Will you be criticized when you drunk?" Zhou Enlai chatted with them in a family way, and this made the anxiety of the Kissinger disappear quickly.

 

In Feb. 1972, President Nixon visited China. Premier Zhou used Moutai stored for over 30 years to treat him. This pure and densely fragrant Moutai immediately infatuated Nixon. When cheering with Nixon, Premier Zhou told the American President that during the Long March he had drunk 25 cups of spirited liquor, which would give unbearable heat in the stomach! When in the US, President Nixon had read Red Star over China by Snow, in which there were stories of generals and soldiers of the Red Army drinking Moutai when they conquered the Town of Moutai in the Long March. In another banquet, when Premier Zhou introduced Moutai to Nixon, he said, "It is better than vodka. When drinking Moutai, the throat was never sore, and the head never suffered." Nixon agreed and complimented that Moutai "can cure all diseases."

 

Staff members of the TV station shot pictures of Premier Zhou happily cheering with Nixon with Moutai, and broadcast it to the entire world, which further made Moutai famous in the world with this historical "cheer".

 

Before that, when Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka visited our country, Premier Zhou prepared a national banquet in Capital Yingbin Hotel. During the banquet, Prime Minister Tanaka complimented, "Moutai is a great liquor, the best, No.1 in the world!" Premier Zhou said, "Moutai can cure fatigue and calm the spirit......"

 

For numerous years, people of Kweichow disputed with people of Shanxi over the question as to which is the earlier, Moutai or Fen Chiew. The suit was even brought to Kuomintang government in Nanjing. Hearing this, Jiang Jieshi didn't dare to present his opinion. He made a compromise and said, "Famous liquors of the world are the same, it is no point arguing which one is earlier, and a liquor is better when it is drunk better.!

 

After the liberation, the dispute between these 2 liquors still continued. At a national meeting in 1963, Premier Zhou asked masters of Moutai and Fen Chiew to tell the fragrance types and traditional technical processes of both liquors. He patiently listened to their statement and said, "You 2 liquors are famous liquors in the south and north. Moutai won reputation for the country; when it comes to the earlier liquor, Moutai shall be earlier." For Moutai is produced at the upstream of Moutai River, and it is different from Fen Chiew in terms of fragrance types and method of brewing, and there is no master-apprentice relationship between these two ones. However, when it comes to the years, Moutai should be the first. At the words of Premier Zhou, all people agreed.

 

Moutai paid special attention to the geographical conditions, climate, soil and quality of water for the production of Moutai. He had made detailed inquiry on it for several times, and had given important instructions that "in order to ensure the quality of Moutai, maintain the honor of our country, no chemical factory is to be built at the upstream of Moutai River, no pollution of the water in Moutai River is permitted." Due to considerate care of Premier Zhou, the water in Moutai River is still clear, and the Moutai produced is still worthy of its famous, and Moutai still maintains its original quality and traditional feature, and is the apple of the eyes of domestic and overseas drinkers.

 

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