[Photo provided to China Daily]

More than 20 Chinese provinces now have their own societies for homer-brew lovers.

About 10,000 people in China brew their own beers, and there is a lot of room for growth as craft beers become more popular, Li says. In the US, there are 600,000 home brewers, he says.

In China, prices of home brewing equipment range from just 1,000 yuan ($150) to 50,000 yuan, and it costs about 30 yuan to 200 yuan to buy the ingredients to brew one barrel of about 90 liters. Most of the equipment and ingredients can be bought online.

Li, who is a presenter with China Central Television, says he became acquainted with craft beer on his overseas travels.

"Some hobbies are somehow interlinked," he says. "For example, quite a few craft beer lovers among home brewers are also fans of pour-over coffee, bakeries, single malt whisky and outdoor sports."

As young Chinese have become more affluent, they have begun to be interested in niche products, he says.