From the Snake's Tongue: Herbal Qingdao mineral water creates buzz on social media

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And now for a look at one family-run business in Qingdao that exports mineral water all over the world. It's attracting a big following on social media, but not for the reasons you might think. CGTN's John Terrett reports.

In the mountains high above the city sits the Qingdao Laoshan Mineral Water Company. It processes what it says is a very special type of mineral water here, one that washes down from the hills above the factory.

JOHN TERRETT QINGDAO "I do like a job that gives me a hair net and a white coat, don't you? I think the hair net adds a certain gravitas, anyway here is the water in question and this in Chinese reads 'did you drink the water today?' and the water in question is Laoshan - in English Oldenlandia Water but Chunyang's going to tell me how to pronounce it in Chinese. Go on.

"Laoshan Bai Hua She Cao Shui - fantastic!"

This production line has been turning since 1998. It's capable of producing ten thousand bottles every hour. The mineral water is made from a pungent herb, that gives it a very specific taste - and legend has it there's a snake involved too -Zhang Ming's the boss - he knows the full story.

ZHANG MING MANAGER OF TECHNOLOGY "It is said the snake likes to lick the dew from the herb, and the leaves of the herb look like a snakes tongue, that's why the herb is called Bai Hua She She Cao - which is where the drink gets its name."

They export from Qingdao all over the world, and when they do they're careful about what words they use.

"Well, here's the finished bottle, fresh off the production line, they market this water as being special, what is it that makes it so special."

And here's the thing, without being too rude about it, some people on social media say the water tastes foul - like sweat even? But Zhu Yuhua, the foreign sales manager, says she understands the water's not for everyone.

ZHU YUHUA FOREIGN SALES MANAGER "The taste of our water is unique - it might be hard for people to accept, but that is how we make it different. The unique taste is from the pungent herb. It doesn't taste bad, it's just different."

The company is boxing clever - they know the more their product is talked about online - the more people can't resist trying it - and that drives sales.

JOHN TERRETT QINGDAO "OK, everybody who helped us make this film is here the moment of truth has arrived I'm going to taste on your behalf this mineral water. It's not so bad, it's not so bad."

The truth is everyone kept telling me how awful it would taste, and in the end, I quite liked it.

JOHN STANDUP "I was expecting it to be terrible but actually it's alright, it's OK."

John Terrett, CGTN, Qingdao

"Cheers!"