Countless jars make for a stunning view. [Photo by Zhang Ji/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Ma did not expect that the traditional method of making soy sauce in his factory would be recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by Sichuan province in 2007, and then raised to state-level intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

The factory's soy sauce is particularly known to locals, although more people from outside start know it by word of mouth.

After several major media featured the factory on TV and in magazines last year, a couple of big supermarkets have expressed interest and approached Ma, Although the brand doesn't yet have an online shop, Ma said that he hopes to sell products abroad one day, and to match the quality with the best Japanese soy sauce.