BEIJING -- An online liquor trading venture established by an equity exchange firm has already seen a great deal of interest, just four days after its creation.

Chen Huiming, vice president of Beijing Jinmajia Equity Exchange Online Service Inc., said Friday that about 16,000 bottles of Guo Jiao 1573, a famed Chinese liquor, have already been sold via the company's website after it opened the trading venture on Tuesday. Each bottle of liquor is priced at 6,900 yuan ($1,070).

The online trading venture was jointly launched by the equity firm, the liquor producer Luzhou Laojiao Co and Shenzhen Sixiang Yihao Wine Co Ltd, which is in charge of selling the liquor.

Chen said the venture marks the first occurrence of large-scale online trading of high-end liquor in China.

"Buyers can choose to pick up the liquor directly after purchasing it or to have the liquor stored for three years in Luzhou Laojiao's cellar, where it can appreciate," he said.

High-end liquor collectors are still a relatively small group in China, although the value of some high-end liquors has increased at least five times since 1999