The main gate of Guizhou Moutai Company in Maotai Town on the Chishui River in Renhuai City, Guizhou Province. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

In China, wine can be called the "water of history" because stories about it can be found in almost every period of the country's long history. Undoubtedly, wine occupies an important place in the culture and life of the Chinese people.

It is well acknowledged that wine was intimately connected with most Chinese men of letters. There were many famous Chinese poets and artists who crafted their masterpieces after getting drunk. The famous poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) is known as the "Immortal of Wine" because of his love of alcohol.

And among thousands of wine brands in China, Maotai, which is brewed in Maotai Town on the Chishui River in Renhuai City, Guizhou Province, is crowned as the national drink.

Guizhou Maotai Company established China's biggest wine museum - the Wine Cultural Museum - after a three-year effort. It occupies an area of 3,000 square meters and has seven exhibition halls for different periods. It is an important stop on our exploration of "China's enchanting Maotai Town".

We learned from the local people that the museum has many fascinating displays about the production of Chinese wine throughout the centuries. It has hundreds of artifacts about the country's wine culture and about Maotai in particular. The exhibits cover folklore, history, the economy, literature, art and medicine and cater the tastes of tourists and wine enthusiasts alike.