---
title: "From 1987 to 2018, 31 Years: What Earth-Shaking Changes Has the Sugar and Wine Fair Witnessed?"
description: "The annual Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair has returned, marking its 31st year in the city. From its first hosting in 1987 to the 98th edition in 2018, the fair has evolved dramatically, as shown through historical photos and personal stories of college students who worked part-time there."
author: "范儿姐"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2018-03-23"
language: "en"
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---

# From 1987 to 2018, 31 Years: What Earth-Shaking Changes Has the Sugar and Wine Fair Witnessed?

> The annual Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair has returned, marking its 31st year in the city. From its first hosting in 1987 to the 98th edition in 2018, the fair has evolved dramatically, as shown through historical photos and personal stories of college students who worked part-time there.

**It's that time of year again: the Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair.**
When you can't squeeze onto Metro Line 1, your perfect attendance bonus evaporates this morning, and you're about to wear out your feet at Western China International Expo City, you know Chengdu is hosting a new national Sugar and Wine Fair.
From the metro station to the expo center, it's a sea of people all the way today. Photo by Sichuan Daily.
The Sugar and Wine Fair's connection with Chengdu began in **1987**. Over the following 31 years, Chengdu has hosted more than 20 editions, making it the city that has hosted the most national Sugar and Wine Fairs.
Today, Fan'er Jie (a local lifestyle account) takes you on a journey through these 31 years of the Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair, using **photos** and **stories**.

**First, a wave of photos spanning 30 years for a nostalgic trip**
This is a photo titled **"Advertising War"** taken by photography enthusiast **Wang Xiaozhuang** at the first Sugar and Wine Fair in 1987, at **Chengdu Hotel**.
The first exhibitors in Chengdu went all out, with **giant banners** flying everywhere.
The following year, 1988, still at Chengdu Hotel. From an aerial view, we can see banners descending from the sky, **a line of trolleybuses, crowded crowds, simple booths laid out on the ground**, and more.
By 1997, the main venue had moved to **the Exhibition Hall on Renmin South Road and Chengdu Sports Stadium**. How old were you that year?
After checking relevant materials, Fan'er Jie found more old photos.
In **1992**, a liquor company from Baofeng, Henan, drove a truck through the streets of Chengdu.
In **1999**, a "giant ship" was parked at the reviewing stand in Tianfu Square.
At the **2000** fair, a young man was shouting himself hoarse promoting sorghum liquor.
In **2005**, it was trendy to hire gong and drum teams for publicity.
In **2009**, living statues appeared at the fair, sparking curiosity among many.
In **2010**, after Xiao Shenyang became a hit at the Spring Festival Gala, his impersonator appeared at the fair.
In **2014**, a highland ethnic style swept the fair.
Time leaps from old photos to the present. Today, the **98th Sugar and Wine Fair** opens again in Chengdu!
As usual, in the crowded venue, besides exhibitors, there are also **Chengdu college students** working part-time.

**Chengdu College Students' Stories at the Sugar and Wine Fair**
Studying in Chengdu, there's an "elective course" that might be called **"Part-time Jobs at the Sugar and Wine Fair"**.
The course content mainly involves **holding signs, handing out flyers, and modeling**; the "classrooms" have changed from Chengdu Hotel to Shawan Convention Center and now to venues like **Western China International Expo City**. This course never fails you; instead, it brings in some income. For many who attended college in Chengdu, it might be an absolutely unforgettable experience in their university life.
Part-time college students at the 2010 fair. Photo by Mao Manding, Sichuan Daily.
Answering 1987, we found college students from different eras who worked part-time at the Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair, and heard their stories—**some bizarre, some fun, some bittersweet**.

> **Some earned money with their skills**
**1999**
**@President Pa, part-time photographer at the fair, earned 700 yuan in three days**
I was a junior at Sichuan University, had taken a photography course, and was looking for a chance to practice. I used a **Seagull DF2-ETM, the film kind**.
At the 1999 fair, the main venue was at Shawan Convention Center. A classmate found a photography gig from a large exhibitor and introduced us. **We earned 700 yuan in three days**. At that time, my **monthly living expenses were only about 150 yuan**, so 700 yuan was a fortune.
After the fair, with the money, I treated my classmates to **Pang Jie BBQ**—Sichuan University students probably remember that place.

> **Some ran intermediary businesses**
**2002**
**@Jiang Yi, part-time intermediary back then, now founder of Hao Xia Chuan (a crayfish restaurant chain)**
I majored in **economics and management** in college, but I hardly attended classes; I was always doing business in society. My entrepreneurial journey started with tutoring. Soon after tutoring, I became an intermediary, organizing students from various departments on one hand, and connecting with parents and families on the other, matching them and charging a per-head fee.
At the Sugar and Wine Fair, I used the same trick.
Sichuan Normal University has many beautiful girls, so I organized students to do promotional part-time jobs at the fair. I kept records of part-time students' information in tables, or categorized them by pay rate. By the next fair, I could organize a **team of several hundred beautiful student part-timers** and sell them as a package to advertising companies.

> **Some dug their first pot of gold here**
**2005**
**@Yanzi, part-time etiquette staff, later became a team leader managing etiquette staff at the fair, earned her first six-figure income, and bought an apartment in Chengdu**
I started college in Chengdu in 2005. I'm tall and decent-looking, so my first part-time job at the fair was as etiquette staff.
The first time, I had no experience, but I didn't find it tiring; instead, it was fun. After a few days, I had a few hundred yuan in my pocket and tasted the sweetness of being an etiquette staff member.
In the following years, I recruited high-quality male and female students from five universities in Chengdu and became their **etiquette team leader**. At my peak, I had several hundred college students under me, contracting most of the etiquette staff for the fair, and earned **my first six-figure income**.
Then, I **bought an apartment in Chengdu**. Yes, property prices were still low then... Speculating in property built my family fortune; it all started from the Sugar and Wine Fair.

> **Some gained experience and friendship**
**2014**
**@Guiyuan, part-time promoter, 140 yuan per day**
I studied at a business school (you can guess which one in Chengdu). Going to the fair for part-time work was arranged by the college, under the guise of **"social practice"**.
I went three times in total. The first year, I did promotion; the second year, I did etiquette, with my dorm sisters, and after earning money, we treated ourselves to a Korean army stew; the third year, I just went to hang out and handed out flyers.
In terms of experience, the traffic in the morning was terrible. Bosses valued communication, but many people from Guangdong liked to tell dirty jokes; they were very open.
Besides the money, I think the fair **lets you meet all kinds of people**, and I also made friends from Sichuan University.
The snack company we worked for gave my roommate a big bag of food. Also, a special reminder for girls doing etiquette: **try to politely decline dinner parties requested by companies**—you know what I mean.

> **Some put their skills to use**
**2018**
**@Cao Wei, part-time model, 1,000 yuan per day**
I'm 178 cm tall, studying fashion performance and design at Sichuan Normal University. Models, you know, because businesses rely on us to **attract attention**, our pay is generally higher than ordinary part-time jobs, but not by much—**1,000 yuan a day**.
Modeling is really not easy. We have to wear dresses and high heels and stand by the booth **from morning till night**. Passersby keep staring at you, but you can only keep smiling, and sometimes you have to answer **weird questions**. Every year, the fair is crowded, but most people seem to be there just to get freebies.
Here's something funny: I thought I'd be standing at a snack booth this year, but this morning I found myself at the **Pixian Douban (fermented bean paste)** booth (smiley face).

**In Conclusion**
Every year, the Sugar and Wine Fair generates many stories. The Metro Line 1 you can't squeeze onto, the perfect attendance bonus lost due to traffic jams, and the myriad products in various venues... All these are connected to everyone living in Chengdu.
**31 years have passed. The fair is similar year after year, but the participants change every year.**
**Do you have any stories with the Chengdu Sugar and Wine Fair?**
Share them in the comments.

Source: Chengdu Fan'er (ID: cdfer100)
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