Guiyang to host intl liquor competition

Southwest China's Guiyang city is set to host the 2015 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, one of the largest and the most famous annual international liquor competitions – the first time a Chinese city is hosting the event.

Guiyang reached an agreement with the organizing committee of the competition and the BeijingInternational Wine Exchange in Brussels on May 2.

The event was first held in 1994 and has been hosted by cities such as Lisbon, Maastricht, Bordeaux and Valencia.

Baudouin Havaux, Chairman of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, said the signing of the cooperation agreement is a big step forward towards the markets of China and the Asia-Pacific region. He also said that the competition aims "to promote Brussels and our culture to the world" and that their logo is an image of Brussels City Hall.

Guiyang is the capital city of Guizhou province, which is known as the "hometown of Moutai", the national liquor of China.

"Liquor has a long history in China, carrying the essence of traditional culture and rich memories of the Chinese people," said Li Zuoxun, vice-mayor of Guiyang.

He also said Chinese liquor will be represented in the competition, which will offer an opportunity to showcase the products and also Chinese and western cultures.