Advertisement

The 1997 handover

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
Josephine Ma

A worker at Cao Xueqin Enterprise Group tends pots of a special vintage wine destined to celebrate next year's handover of Hong Kong.

Cao Xueqin will deliver 1,997 pots of its '1997 celebration wine' to the territory by the day of the handover.

The move is a major promotional coup for the hitherto obscure wine-maker from Tangshan in China's northeast.

Advertisement

Beijing was so concerned about firms cashing in on the handover that in December it cancelled all '1997' trademarks.

This has not stopped Cao Xueqin winning the state's blessing for its gift. Official mouthpiece Xinhua dubbed it 'a hearty congratulation sent by the mother country to Hong Kong'.

Advertisement

The first pot of the sorghum-based wine will be auctioned for charity with the rest distributed free to major hotels.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x