Yangloudong Brick Tea

Yangloudong Brick Tea

Yangloudong Brick Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Chibi City is located in a hilly area where the Mufu Mountain Range meets the Jianghan Plain. The region enjoys abundant rainfall, long hours of sunshine, and fertile soil, providing an ideal environment for tea cultivation. With a tea-picking history spanning over two thousand years, as far back as the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Chibi was designated by the imperial court as a “tea garden household.” During the Song and Yuan dynasties, it was established as a “mandated tea-producing region.”

　　Yangloudong Brick Tea has a long history. Dating back to its predecessor, the hat-box tea, its origins can be traced to the Tang Dynasty, flourishing during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is globally recognized as the birthplace of green brick tea. During the Ming and Qing periods, Chibi’s Yangloudong rose to international prominence thanks to tea, earning the nickname “Little Hankou,” and Chibi itself became one of the three major sources of the ancient Tea Horse Road. In the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the two tea companies “Sanyuchuan” and “Jushengchuan” pressed the character “Chuan” (meaning “stream”), representing the three springs of Yangloudong, onto their brick tea as a product emblem, which gained the highest reputation among nomadic herders on the grasslands.

　　The Yangloudong Brick Tea enterprise, Hubei Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory, is the main drafter of the national standards GB/T9833.9 and GB/T9833.8. In addition to meeting the sensory and physicochemical indicators specified in these two standards, some physicochemical parameters of Yangloudong Brick Tea are even stricter than the national standards. In terms of internal aroma, it boasts a distinct aged fragrance, along with a complex scent profile that includes fermented microbial notes, Phoebe nanmu aroma, and woody undertones.

　　Aged green brick tea becomes increasingly fragrant, richer, and purer over time. When stored for extended periods under specific regional environmental conditions, aged green brick tea may also develop a notable almond aroma. In terms of taste, besides a mellow feel, it offers a bold yet non-astringent, mature yet not bland, full-bodied and lingering aftertaste known as the “Dong flavor.” Upon careful tasting, the tea liquor reveals layered textural sensations when it enters the mouth, moves across the tongue, is swallowed, and even after swallowing. In terms of liquor color, aside from being bright orange-red and visually appealing, aged green brick tea also presents a crystal-clear, amber-like luster.

　　Rice brick tea has well-defined edges, an attractive appearance, and beautifully clear patterns on its surface. The brick has a dark, glossy color. Once brewed, the tea liquor is deep red and bright, with a mellow aroma, rich taste, and offers benefits such as quenching thirst, refreshing the mind, warming the body, resisting the cold, and aiding in fat reduction and slimming. The finished product, when paired with exquisitely carved wooden frames, becomes a crafted tea masterpiece.

　　In 1953, the enterprise relocated from Yangloudong to Zhaoliqiao. In 1959, the company changed its name from “China Tea Company Yangloudong Brick Tea Factory” to “Hubei Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory.” In 1993, the Ministry of Foreign Trade awarded the enterprise the honorary certificate of “China Time-Honored Brand.”

　　In 2009, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce recognized the enterprise’s “Chuan” brand trademark as a “National Well-Known Trademark.” In recent years, Chibi Dongzhuang Tea Co., Ltd. and Chibi Jinhé Tea Co., Ltd. have emerged, both achieving annual outputs worth tens of millions. The industrialization level of Yangloudong Brick Tea has further improved. The products are bestsellers in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, and other provinces and regions, becoming daily necessities for local people, and are also exported to Russia, Mongolia, the Middle East, the UK, the US, and other countries and regions, winning high favor among foreign consumers.

　　To better promote the development of the Yangloudong Brick Tea industry, in December 2009, the Chibi Municipal People’s Government applied to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China to designate Yangloudong Brick Tea (Dong Tea) as a protected geographical indication product.