Baijiu Collection is a content series focusing on the collectible value and cultural significance of Chinese baijiu.
With a professional perspective, the program systematically explores collectible editions, commemorative releases, and limited-edition products from major baijiu brands, while decoding the craftsmanship, historical background, and market value behind each bottle.
Through easy-to-understand storytelling, Baijiu Collection helps viewers understand what makes a baijiu worth collecting, and how to approach collecting and identification in a rational way. Guided by the IP “Mr Baijiu Tianan,” we step into the world of baijiu and discover the value shaped by time.
Trailer - Singapore Baijiu 22
Twenty-two years can change how a city perceives a taste.
On the 22nd anniversary of Singapore’s first Moutai specialty store, we turn our attention to a journey that began from near obscurity and gradually found its place.
Twenty-two years ago, baijiu had little presence in Singapore, there was no awareness, no established drinking culture, and no clear market pathway. Mr Charles Oon, a Chinese Singaporean, started with a single bottle and a single store, exploring and adjusting continuously in an unfamiliar environment. Over two decades, step by step, the market slowly began to open.
From being unseen, to being noticed. From being difficult to accept, to gradually being understood.
This special series, Singapore Baijiu 22, revisits this 22-year journey through four themes: origin, breakthrough, establishment, and evolution. It is not only the growth of a business, but also a real story of how a culture takes root, adapts, and is eventually embraced.
Singapore Baijiu 22 will span 22 episodes, each capturing a key moment across these two decades.
Stay tuned for the journey.
[EP1] Singapore Baijiu 22 | How did a bottle of Feitian Moutai enter Singapore?
Twenty-two years ago, Singapore was a market dominated by Western spirits. Chinese baijiu was almost unheard of—there was no awareness, no consumption habit, and no established market pathway.
Mr Charles Oon, a Chinese Singaporean, made what seemed like a counter-trend decision at the time: he first introduced Kweichow Moutai dry red wine and beer into the market. However, reality quickly delivered a clear answer.
Later, almost by coincidence, during a return trip to Moutai Town, he decided to bring back Kweichow Moutai baijiu instead.
What happens when a market that could not even accept Chinese wine is faced with 53% ABV baijiu?
To find out more, stay tuned for Singapore Baijiu 22.
[EP2] Singapore Baijiu 22 | Building Singapore’s First Moutai Boutique: From Zero to One
From Rejection to Recognition
Today, 53% Flying Fairy Moutai is widely recognised by many. But 22 years ago in Singapore, the typical reaction was:
“So strong? How do you even drink this?”
There was no established market, no consumer familiarity, and little restaurant support for baijiu.
To introduce Chinese baijiu to more people, Mr Charles Oon went from restaurant to restaurant, personally approaching owners and asking them to give customers an opportunity to try it.
From countless rejections to the opening of Singapore’s first Moutai boutique, the journey was never easy. Yet it marked the beginning of something much bigger—from a single bottle to the gradual development of a market.
Stay tuned to Lion City Baijiu 22 as we continue to share the story behind 22 years of perseverance and growth.
[EP3] Singapore Baijiu 22 | 22 Years of Dedication: Charles Oon’s Baijiu Journey
Would you keep going if your business made little to no profit for five years?
For 22 years, Mr Charles Oon has remained committed to promoting Chinese baijiu in Singapore.
Many people have asked him:
“Is the baijiu business profitable?”
His answer is straightforward:
“For the first four to five years, there was hardly any profit.”
So why continue for more than two decades?
Because he believes that if we do not share the story and culture of Chinese baijiu ourselves, no one else will do it for us.
What started as selling baijiu gradually became something more — promoting a culture, building understanding, and helping more people discover Chinese baijiu.
From one brand to an entire category, his goal has remained the same.
For the past 22 years, he has focused on one thing: introducing Chinese baijiu to more people.
Stay tuned to Lion City Baijiu 22 for more stories from the journey.
[EP4] Singapore Baijiu 22 | How Did We Sell Baijiu When Nobody Drank It?
“Firewater” was how many Singaporeans first perceived Chinese baijiu.
Twenty-two years ago, many people thought baijiu was too strong, too intense, and simply undrinkable.
Charles Oon did not rush to sell it. Instead, he took a slower approach — inviting people to meals, introducing the culture first, and then letting them experience baijiu.
He believed that baijiu was not something to be sold, but something to be experienced.
So how did he gradually change people’s perceptions of baijiu? And how did the first group of people willing to drink baijiu come about?
Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22 to find out more.
[EP5] Singapore Baijiu 22 | Who Were the First Baijiu Drinkers in Singapore? Who were the very first people to drink baijiu in Singapore?
Baijiu was not embraced in Singapore overnight. Among the earliest supporters of Charles Oon were Chinese Singaporeans who drank baijiu at business gatherings, locals who had a personal connection to baijiu, and international friends who discovered it through Chinese culture.
They started by trying it, then buying it; from drinking it themselves to sharing it with friends.
One table at a time, one group at a time, one circle at a time — baijiu gradually began to find its place in Singapore.
Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22 to find out more.
[EP6] Singapore Baijiu 22 | Baijiu Meets Beauty Pageants: An Unexpected Collaboration
Why would baijiu appear at a beauty pageant?
Twenty-two years ago, hardly anyone in Singapore knew about baijiu. Charles Oon realised that relying on restaurants alone was not enough. So he took a bold step — bringing baijiu onto the beauty pageant stage.
It was not simply a publicity stunt. His goal was to let more people see baijiu first, then discover it, and eventually understand its culture.
What impact did this unexpected crossover have? And how did it shape the development of baijiu in Singapore?
Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22 to find out more.
[EP7] Singapore Baijiu 22 | Baijiu in Cocktails: A New Way to Experience Baijiu
Can baijiu be used to make cocktails?
When most people believed cocktails were made only with Western spirits, Charles Oon had a different idea — why not baijiu?
And so, a baijiu cocktail competition was born.
From unfamiliarity and scepticism to more and more bartenders experimenting with baijiu to create new flavours, the idea opened up a different way of experiencing the spirit.
Baijiu was never impossible for younger generations to appreciate. It simply needed a more approachable way to be discovered.
Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22 to find out more.
[EP8] Singapore Baijiu 22 | From Restaurants to Bars: Expanding the Baijiu Experience
Can baijiu only be paired with Chinese cuisine?
In the past, many people believed that baijiu belonged only in Chinese restaurants and at traditional banquets.
But Charles Oon wanted to challenge that perception — why couldn’t baijiu make its way into bars?
From hosting Moutai Nights to introducing baijiu to people accustomed to whisky and cocktails, the goal was never to replace other spirits, but to open up more possibilities for baijiu.
Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22 to find out more.
EP9 | Singapore Baijiu 22 | Baijiu as a Cultural Bridge: How Does Baijiu Carry Chinese Culture?
When promoting baijiu, are you really selling just a bottle of alcohol?
After 22 years in the industry, Charles Oon realised that the real challenge was not promoting baijiu itself, but overcoming the misunderstandings surrounding it.
So, he decided to take a different approach.
Instead of starting with baijiu, he started with culture. Instead of introducing flavours first, he shared Chinese dining etiquette, toasting traditions, and the stories behind them.
Because he has always believed that baijiu is more than just a drink — it is also a carrier of culture.
Want to learn more? Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22.
EP10 | Singapore Baijiu 22 | When Baijiu Enters Competitive Sports
As part of our cultural outreach, we have also participated in activities such as Chinese chess, Go, martial arts, and marathons.
These activities have a natural connection with Eastern culture, allowing baijiu to become part of these settings in a more natural way.
Rather than promoting baijiu deliberately, we believe in bringing it into the right settings, where more people can encounter it naturally and gradually learn about it.
It may be a less noticeable approach, but one that can be more consistent and lasting.
Want to learn more? Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22!
EP11 | Singapore Baijiu 22 | Beyond Business: Baijiu and Community Care
Beyond business, what else can a glass of baijiu bring?
Over the years, we have visited nursing homes and taken part in community activities. There was no selling and no business to discuss. We simply spent time with people and offered companionship.
For Charles Oon, community service has never been about putting on a show for others. It is about sharing genuine care and warmth with more people in more places.
Want to learn more? Stay tuned to Singapore Baijiu 22!