The company behind Lady Penguin, one of China’s best-known influencer-led wine brands, faces court enforcement proceedings involving a whopping amount of RMB111.3 million (US$16.6 million), adding to questions surrounding a business previously named in a smuggling prosecution.
Corporate information platform Qichacha recorded the enforcement case against Beijing-based Lady Penguin Wines & Spirits Co., Ltd. on October 14. The Beijing Fourth Intermediate People’s Court is handling the proceedings, the same court that heard Lady Penguin’s case in September.
The record names both the company and Li Baolong, the same defendants identified in an earlier notice scheduling a September hearing at Beijing Fourth Intermediate People’s Court on charges of smuggling ordinary goods and articles.
Those overlaps suggest a possible connection. But no verdict or further legal proceeding following the September trial have been released yet.
In China, court enforcement proceedings seek to compel an individual or company to fulfil obligations under an enforceable legal document. The RMB 111.3 million figure represents the amount subject to enforcement; the available information does not establish whether it is a fine or unpaid taxes.
From wine influencer to mogul
Lady Penguin is the nickname of Wang Shenghan, who built a substantial following by making wine approachable to Chinese consumers.
Wang first attracted attention with her early self-produced video series. She enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2013 to study wine, then returned to China and launched Lady Penguin as a digital media brand.
Her wine education content drew more than 6 million followers, creating an audience she subsequently turned into a wine business. Publicly available accounts put its peak annual sales at RMB350 million (US$), making Lady Penguin a prominent example of how online personalities could build wine brands through content and direct sales.
Company liability and Wang’s role
Qichacha lists Chen Dan as the company’s legal representative and Wang’s mother Liao Xiaoyi as its largest shareholder, with a 49.1886% stake. The platform also identifies Liao as the actual controller and ultimate beneficial owner.
Wang holds the corporate role of supervisor.
It’s worthy to note that despite being the company founder, her connection to the brand and position within the company do not, by themselves, establish personal liability for its payment obligations or criminal responsibility in the smuggling case. Any such determination would depend on evidence of her role in the relevant business activities, her participation in the alleged conduct and the requisite intent.
As of publishing, based on Qichacha records, the company remains in business. Livestream videos associated with the business are also still visible on Douyin, although their availability alone does not establish the current scale of its operations.
Wang has been less visible publicly. The latest short video on the Lady Penguin Douyin account was posted on September 27, 2025, showing her promoting her Chinese wine brand, Danyuan Ren Chang Jiu.
Discover more from Vino Joy News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
