Connecting Specialized and Innovative "Little Giants," Activating Intangible Cultural Heritage with New Productive Forces, Luzhou Laojiao Intelligently Leading Chinese Strong-Aroma Baijiu into a New Chapter of the "15th Five-Year Plan"

This article is from Times Weekly, author: He Yao

From March 18 to 21, Luzhou, known as China’s Liquor City, hosted an in-depth dialogue spanning industry, culture, and technology. Events included the “New Quality Attraction · Wisdom Gathering Luzhou—2026 Guojiao 1573 China Leading Enterprise Seminar,” and the Luzhou Laojiao · Guojiao 1573 19th Cask Sealing Ceremony. Over four days, more than a thousand guests engaged in discussions and practical explorations around the deep integration of new quality productivity and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) live inheritance.

The “2026 Government Work Report” explicitly proposed developing new quality productivity according to local conditions. As new quality productivity becomes a macroeconomic keyword, the practical implementation of traditional industries like Baijiu has gained more significance. In Luzhou Laojiao’s practice, this issue is broken down into three levels: reconstructing production logic through digital intelligence manufacturing, activating Baijiu consumption through scenario-based expression, and releasing industry value through product and brand innovation.

From the continuous brewing of the “Living Double National Treasures” to investing 12 billion yuan in building an intelligent brewing base, achieving a 70% increase in production efficiency and a significant rise in high-quality liquor ratio; from upgrading the sealing ceremony into a city cultural IP to making the 38-degree Guojiao 1573 the first low-alcohol product in the Baijiu industry to break 10 billion yuan in sales, Luzhou Laojiao’s deep exploration of new quality productivity demonstrates how “intangible cultural heritage” can evolve into a sustainable industry capability.

In the first year of the “14th Five-Year Plan,” as a leader in strong aroma Baijiu, Luzhou Laojiao’s systematic practice is providing a high-quality development model for China’s real economy.

Behind the 12 billion yuan investment and 70% efficiency improvement, Luzhou Laojiao is connecting specialized, innovative enterprises to build a new ecosystem.

At the core forum of the summit, representatives from Fortune 500 companies, leading innovative enterprises, business elites, and renowned economic and policy experts reached a clear consensus: new quality productivity is not exclusive to emerging industries; it is also reshaping the fundamental structure of traditional industries.

As a leader in strong aroma Baijiu, Luzhou Laojiao took the lead in embedding this concept into production.

Tang Dongliang, Executive Vice President of Luzhou Laojiao Co., Ltd., pointed out that specialized, innovative enterprises are the backbone of the national industrial system. Luzhou Laojiao, as a leader in strong aroma Baijiu, has built the industry’s first brewing ecological park and “Lighthouse Factory” intelligent packaging center, with innovation at its core and a spirit aligned with specialized, innovative enterprises. He stated that Luzhou Laojiao will deepen cooperation with such enterprises through open research platforms, linking industrial resources, and integrating data elements to explore new paths for high-quality development.

Zhao Bingkun, Deputy General Manager of Luzhou Laojiao, revealed that by investing 12 billion yuan to build an intelligent brewing base and utilizing data modeling to replicate traditional brewing techniques, the company has achieved a 70% increase in production efficiency and a 10-20% rise in high-quality liquor ratio, while significantly reducing labor costs.

In packaging, Luzhou Laojiao has built an intelligent packaging center following Lighthouse Factory standards, achieving full-process automation, doubling efficiency on single lines, and reducing labor by over 90%. From brewing to dispatch, a more efficient and stable production system has been established.

Participants visited Luzhou Laojiao’s intelligent packaging center.

Meanwhile, technological pathways are also being upgraded. Through digital twin technology for pre-simulation optimization, and systematic coordination of information and hardware, Luzhou Laojiao is integrating traditional brewing into a manageable, calculable system.

More importantly, this transformation is not happening in isolation. During the summit, discussions around specialized, innovative enterprises continued.

Economist Ren Zeping pointed out the disruptive potential and risks of AI development, emphasizing that China’s economy is shifting its growth engine, with specialized, innovative enterprises at the core. Chen Jing, Vice President of the China Small and Medium Enterprise Association, from policy and practical perspectives, stressed that enterprises should focus on core businesses, integrate AI, and enhance competitiveness through an ecosystem-based service system.

Wocheng, President of Dongchao Technology, shared about “Boundless Aerial Full-Volume Interaction” technology, expressing hope to apply it to intangible cultural heritage displays and smart manufacturing upgrades to enhance experience; Li Chao, Vice President of LunDong Technology, from an AI application perspective, emphasized that companies should return to management and business fundamentals, avoid blind adoption of technology, and promote implementation through data connectivity and process reengineering. All these thoughts point to a common direction: technology must return to industry scenarios.

The competition of new quality productivity ultimately hinges on industry organizational capabilities.

Within this framework, Luzhou Laojiao is not only a manufacturer but also gradually becoming a link leader connecting traditional industries with emerging technologies, exemplifying the implementation of new quality productivity.

“Living Double National Treasures” Take Center Stage: A Cultural Experiment to Revive Traditional Skills

If the summit forums provided a methodology for new quality productivity, the sealing ceremony answered how to inject contemporary vitality into traditional “intangible cultural heritage.”

On March 20, during the spring equinox, the 19th Luzhou Laojiao · Guojiao 1573 Sealing Ceremony opened beside the Yangtze River.

Before entering the main venue, guests pass through three spaces: “Origin of Strong Aroma,” “Living Double National Treasures,” and “Ancestor of Strong Aroma.” This design links geographic environment, historical heritage, and craftsmanship into a complete cognitive path, transforming “intangible cultural heritage” from an abstract concept into a perceptible experience.

Guests observe the 2026 Luzhou Laojiao · Guojiao 1573 · Sealing Ceremony.

Located at 28 degrees north latitude, Luzhou’s unique climate has been recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and UNESCO as the most suitable ecological zone on the same latitude for brewing high-quality, pure distilled spirits. In 1324, Guo Huaiyu, the first master brewer of Luzhou Laojiao’s traditional brewing techniques, invented “Gan Chun Qu,” pioneering the Daqu liquor style and establishing its status as the ancestor of strong aroma Baijiu.

Inheriting this legacy is Luzhou Laojiao’s only “Living Double National Treasure”—the over 450-year-old “1573 National Treasure Cellar Group” and the over 700-year-old “Luzhou Laojiao Traditional Brewing Technique.” These are not only core cultural heritage assets but also the roots of the brand’s continuous vitality.

The significance of the sealing ceremony lies in activating this inheritance system. From ancestral worship to spring brewing, from sealing jars to sealing in caves, each step follows traditional rituals while transforming into contemporary experiences through scenography.

“Sealing is about harvest; storing is about hope.” Song Shuyu, Chairman of the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, expressed the spiritual core of this 19-year-old cultural event in his speech. He said, “Luzhou brewers have created a model of Chinese wine etiquette and culture through sealing. This is not only a tradition of brewing but also a way to promote wine culture and a testament to a national brand’s sincere guardianship of traditional culture.”

It is noteworthy that the sealing ceremony has evolved beyond traditional rituals into a cultural IP. From themed interviews like “That Jar of Wine in Life,” to immersive “Intangible Cultural Heritage Night” activities, and the “Huaiyu Cup” brewing skills competition, the layered content transforms it from a simple folk activity into a cultural carnival rooted in urban development and citizen life.

This transformation essentially reflects the embodiment of new quality productivity in culture—using innovative expression to give ancient skills new dissemination paths and consumption scenarios.

Upholding tradition while innovating for the long-term, empowering the real economy with brand vitality

When new quality productivity and intangible cultural heritage are fully integrated, the ultimate test is the market and consumers.

For Luzhou Laojiao, this logic is summarized as the corporate philosophy of “Brewing Together with Heaven and Earth, Coexisting with Humanity,” and the core strategy of “Brand Leading, Quality as Foundation, Culture as Soul.”

On the product side, Luzhou Laojiao has broken through the challenge of reducing alcohol content with technological innovation, making the 38-degree Guojiao 1573 the first low-alcohol product in the industry to surpass 10 billion yuan in scale. This not only broadens the high-end consumer market but also opens new growth space for traditional strong aroma Baijiu.

In consumption, Luzhou Laojiao continues to explore more diverse and fashionable drinking methods and scenarios—from iced drinks and cocktails to immersive experiences—shifting Baijiu from traditional banquets to more everyday consumption contexts.

In branding, IP marketing activities such as the sealing ceremony, International Poetry and Wine Culture Conference, Cellar Master Festival, and cooperation with the Australian Open continuously enhance Luzhou Laojiao’s cultural expression and build deeper value resonance with high-end consumers.

Meanwhile, Luzhou Laojiao’s efforts extend beyond a single enterprise. As an industry chain leader, it promotes coordinated development of upstream and downstream enterprises through resource integration and platform building, forming a more resilient industry ecosystem.

Luzhou Laojiao Huangyan Brewing Eco-park

Coinciding with the start of the “14th Five-Year Plan,” this practice has greater practical significance. Facing changes in consumption structure and growth pressures, traditional industries urgently need new development logic. Luzhou Laojiao’s answer is to use new quality productivity as a tool, with intangible cultural heritage as a foundation, and through technological, cultural, and industrial multi-dimensional integration, build a future-oriented development model.

A glass of strong aroma not only carries history but also reflects the future direction of the industry.