Multiple sellers have noted that some zodiac editions are available only as empty bottles, while the water in other bottles has expired and is not safe for drinking.
Recently, NONGFU SPRING's Year of the Horse commemorative glass bottle water was released, leading to this series of "Zodiac Water" being speculatively traded on secondary market platforms for over 1,680 yuan per set. A complete set includes the limited-edition zodiac waters that the brand has sequentially released over the past eleven years, starting from 2016.
Under related discussion topics, some netizens commented, "This is pretty good, quite interesting." However, many other netizens remarked, "People will speculate on anything these days," and "The brand only gives them away, they are not for sale; it's infuriating that scalpers are taking them to speculate."
According to media reports, some product listings showed that hundreds of users had clicked "want" for this zodiac water set. Several sellers explicitly stated that certain zodiac editions consist solely of empty bottles, and for others, the water inside has expired and is not drinkable. One seller explained that this complete zodiac water set cannot be purchased centrally; they have been collecting the bottles individually since 2016. They believe the set has potential for appreciation, especially since a full set of twelve zodiac animals will be achievable by 2027.
Listings on secondary trading platforms show that NONGFU SPRING's 2016 "Golden Monkey Water" and 2017 "Golden Rooster Water" sets are also priced at over a thousand yuan. The seller attributed this to the scarcity of early editions, noting that very few people collected and preserved the zodiac waters in the initial years. Furthermore, each year's production was limited to 100,000-200,000 sets before being discontinued, making later acquisition significantly more difficult. In response to these developments, NONGFU SPRING stated that its zodiac commemorative glass bottle water is sourced from the Moyaquan spring in Changbai Mountain, with the bottle design itself taking three years to develop. For the entire eleven years since its launch, the company has adhered to a "gift-only, not for sale" policy. The product is primarily positioned as a token of gratitude to consumers, serving as a medium for brand-consumer communication and for conveying culture and blessings.
Regarding how consumers can obtain this zodiac water, NONGFU SPRING indicated that customers nationwide can acquire it through official online channels. These include purchase-with-gift campaigns on the NONGFU SPRING Brand Pavilion mini-program, as well as online lottery methods available on the "NONGFU SPRING Water Delivery+" mini-program and the dedicated NONGFU SPRING Zodiac Water mini-program. Industry insiders pointed out that in recent years, zodiac-themed, limited-edition, and commemorative food and beverage items have frequently appeared on secondary trading platforms. Their prices are often driven by a combination of emotional value, the time span of collection, and the "completeness of the full set." In terms of actual transaction outcomes, such goods commonly exhibit characteristics of high listing prices and uncertain final sales, with prices being significantly influenced by market sentiment.
On November 7th of last year, the 2025 Forbes China Mainland Rich List was released. Forbes China noted that two-thirds of the list members saw their wealth increase. Among them, NONGFU SPRING founder Zhong Shanshan topped the list for the fifth consecutive year. His wealth grew by $26.3 billion, reaching $77.1 billion, making him the individual with the largest wealth increase on the list.
Earlier, NONGFU SPRING announced its interim业绩 for 2025. In the first half of the year, the company achieved operating revenue of 25.622 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.6%. Net profit reached 7.622 billion yuan, surging 22.1% compared to the same period last year. The tea beverage segment maintained rapid growth, while the packaged water business showed signs of recovery. Together, these dual core segments of "water + beverages" drove the company's performance to a new record high.
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