Diversifying the drinking culture

Chinese drinking culture consistently makes the news, whether it's deep interest from the Western observer or chastisement from a native viewpoint, it's certainly forever appealing to discussion.

As popular as drinking baijiu will always be, the ganbei culture of traditional Chinese drinking is not without its victims. Only a few months ago, an official in Hubei province died from an alcohol-induced heart attack.

An anonymous official in Shandong province at the time stated that, "We would lose face if we could not get our guests drunk. ... Neither my guests nor I want to get drunk but we have to play under the unspoken rule, which has been around for so long. We don't know how to do business otherwise."