Yidu Yihong Black Tea

Yidu Yihong Black Tea

Yidu Yihong Black Tea is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Yidu Yihong Black Tea is a specialty of Yidu City, Yichang, Hubei Province. Yihong Black Tea features tightly rolled leaves, a dark lustrous color, a fresh and fragrant aroma, a sweet and mellow taste, and uniformly red leaf bases, forming its uniquely charming Yihong style. Yidu Yihong Black Tea is a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Yidu Yihong Black Tea features tightly rolled leaves with golden tips, a dark, glossy, and oily color, a sweet and long-lasting fragrance, a mellow and fresh taste, and a bright reddish liquor. The tea exhibits a "tea creaming" phenomenon when cooled, making it one of China’s representative strip-style black teas. Produced in the hilly mountainous areas where the Yangtze River and Qingjiang River meet, the region features overlapping peaks and uniquely favorable tea-growing conditions. In the mid-19th century, tea merchants arrived in Yidu to establish tea houses and teach black tea production techniques, marking the beginning of a century-long prosperity for Yidu Yihong Black Tea. As a typical representative of Yihong Black Tea, during the 1950s–60s, Yihong, along with Qihong (Keemun) and Dianhong (Yunnan), were known as China’s three major exported black teas. Due to its significant influence, Yidu Yihong Black Tea was documented and introduced in detail in the Yidu County Annals. After weathering various challenges, the development of Yidu Yihong Black Tea gained new momentum in 1951 when the former Soviet Union aided in the construction of China’s first specialized tea factory—the Yidu Tea Factory under the China National Tea Corporation—in Yidu. This marked the beginning of the tea’s procurement, refined processing, and sales. The tea has been recognized by the Hubei Provincial Government as a “High-Quality Product” and a “Famous Hubei Specialty Tea,” among other honors.

　　Yichang Black Tea, commonly referred to as Yihong, also known as Yichang Gongfu Tea, is one of China’s major Gongfu black tea varieties. Historically, it earned its name because it was gathered, processed, and exported from Yichang. According to historical records, Yihong Black Tea originated in the mid-19th century. During the Guangxu era, it was already exported in large quantities. In 1876, after the signing of the unequal Treaty of Chefoo between the Qing government and Britain, which designated Yichang as a trading port, substantial exports of Yihong Black Tea commenced. After the liberation, due to the closed-door policy, exports of Yihong Black Tea were temporarily suspended until they gradually resumed after the reform and opening-up period.

　　The unique historical status of Yihong Black Tea has also contributed to its distinctive brand identity. Yihong Black Tea produced by Yidu Yihong Black Tea Industry Co., Ltd. features tightly rolled leaves, a dark lustrous color, a fresh and fragrant aroma, a sweet and mellow taste, and uniformly red leaf bases, forming its uniquely charming Yihong style. Owing to its stable quality, it is highly favored by consumers in Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

　　In 2013, the application for “Yidu Yihong Black Tea” submitted by the Yidu Yihong Tea Association passed the review by the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, leading to its implementation under the national agricultural geographical indication registration and protection system.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected geographic indication area for Yidu Yihong Black Tea covers the entire territory of Yidu City, including (Honghuatao Town, Gaobazhou Town, Yaojiadian Town, Wuyanquan Town, Niejihe Town, Panjiawan Tujia Ethnic Township, Wangjiawan Township, Songmuping Town, Zhicheng Town, and Lucheng Subdistrict Office). The production area's geographic coordinates are between 30°05′55″N – 30°36′00″N and 111°05′47″E – 111°36′02″E. The cultivation scale spans 100,000 mu, with an annual output of 13,000 tons.