Zong Qinghou, founder and chairman of the Hangzhou Wahaha Group, China's leading domestic beverage producer, passed away on Sunday at the age of 79 after medical treatment proved ineffective.

Zong was born in Suqian of Jiangsu province in December 1945 and he has long been regarded as one of the landmark figures in Chinese business history.

The group was established in 1987 with over 30,000 staff members currently, more than 180 subsidiary corporations and over 80 production bases, as well as 35 years of cumulative sales of 860.1 billion yuan ($119.54 billion), according to the company's official website.

Zong was listed as the richest person in China by Forbes as early as 2010.

On Dec 9, 2021, Wahaha announced on its official website that Zong Fuli, daughter of Zong Qinghou, was appointed as vice-chairman and general manager of Wahaha, responsible for daily work.