Ya'an Biancha

Ya'an Biancha

　　　　    Ya'an Biancha is a traditional specialty of Ya'an. Ya'an has been a tea-producing region since ancient times and is considered the homeland of tea. Biancha, as the name suggests, refers to tea produced in inland areas and sold to border regions. Ya'an Biancha is a type of compressed tea and an essential beverage for Tibetan people. Since ancient times, Ya'an Biancha has been supplied to Tibetan areas in Tibet, Garzê, and Qinghai. Ya'an has served as a trading hub for tea-horse market exchanges between Tibetan and Han peoples. The Biancha supplied from Ya'an to Tibetan areas comes in two types: fine and coarse. The fine varieties include Maojian, Yazi, and Yazhuan, while the coarse varieties are divided into Jinyu, Jincang, and Kangzhuan. Coarse tea is the primary type consumed by Tibetans. Golden Tip Biancha and Kangzhuan tea are especially favored by the Tibetan people.