Zhengshan Xiaozhong red tea is traditionally said to have been created in Tongmu Village, Xingcun Town, Wuyishan City, during the late Ming Dynasty (around 1568).
Legend has it that an army passing through Tongmu camped overnight at a tea factory, causing the tea leaves awaiting processing to oxidize and turn red due to delayed drying. To salvage the crop, tea farmers dried the leaves using locally abundant pine wood. This process imparted a deep, glossy black color and a distinctive pine aroma, creating an unexpected flavor profile. Through subsequent refinement, this method evolved into Zhengshan Xiaozhong. Locals referred to it as "red tea."

In the late 16th to early 17th century (around 1604), Zhengshan Xiaozhong was introduced to Europe by Dutch merchants and initially sold in pharmacies for its medicinal properties.
In 1662, Princess Catherine of Portugal brought Zhengshan Xiaozhong as part of her dowry when she married King Charles II of England. This introduced the tea to the British royal court, sparking the enduring tradition of "afternoon tea." From then on, Zhengshan Xiaozhong became the symbol of Chinese black tea in Europe and a globally renowned tea.

In 1842, following the Opium War, the Qing government was compelled to open five ports for foreign trade. European and American merchants rushed to China to purchase tea, primarily red tea. Building upon the production techniques of Wuyi Mountain red tea, northern and eastern Fujian successively developed Gongfu red teas for export, gradually forming the three major Fujian Gongfu red teas: Tan Yang Gongfu, Zheng He Gongfu, and Bai Lin Gongfu.

Gongfu red tea was born in Bailin, Fuding, with its craftsmanship spanning over 250 years. The 1759 Fuzhou Prefecture Annals (Qianlong era) records: "Tea is produced throughout the prefecture. The finest comes from Fuding Bailin." confirming Bailin's reputation as a tea-producing region at that time.

Fuding's tea cultivation history traces back to the Tang Dynasty, as documented in Lu Yu's Classic of Tea: "Three hundred li (a li 里corresponds to about 500m, ndr) east of Yongjia lies the White Tea Mountain," which scholars identify as Fuding.

Bailin Gongfu tea development underwent four distinct phases:
1. The Qing Dynasty's Guangxu reign marked its initial flourishing period, with annual exports reaching 20,000 boxes, each box containing 50 jin (a jin 斤 corresponds to exactly 500gr, ndr) of red tea sold as far as Shanghai.
2. A decline was experienced in the early Republican era, with annual output value falling below one million yuan.
3. A time of revival began from the mid- Republican era to pre-liberation, attracting numerous tea merchants. After processing at local Bailin tea houses, the tea was transported via water routes to the port of Manzhouli for export to the Soviet Union.
4. From post-liberation to the 1970s, a decline in international demand led to the gradual restructuring and transformation of red tea production.

Fuan's tea cultivation history dates back to the Sui and Tang dynasties. Tan Yang Gongfu was created in the first year of the Xianfeng reign (1851) during the Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that when tea masters in Tan Yang Village successfully developed black tea, its meticulous craftsmanship led tea merchants to collectively name it "Tan Yang Gong Fu." Its reputation soon soared, attracting merchants from afar. Within a single-mile stretch of the marketplace, over a hundred tea houses were operating.

From the sixth year of the Guangxu reign to the twenty-fifth year of the Republic of China (1881–1936), Tan Yang Gongfu tea averaged over 10,000 dan ( 1 dan 擔 correspond to 100 jin, or to 50kg) in annual exports for more than five decades. In 1915, Tan Yang Gongfu, representing the Fuan Chamber of Commerce, won a gold medal at the Panama- Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, cementing its status as an internationally renowned tea.

Following the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, sales channels were disrupted, production suffered severe damage, and output plummeted. Gradual recovery began in the 1950s, with production reaching 50,000 dan in 1960—a historic peak. Later, due to adjustments in tea production planning, output declined again. Through concerted efforts, Tan Yang Gongfu recovered to over 8,000 dan by 1988. In 2021, the craftsmanship of Tan Yang Gongfu tea was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects List.

Zhenghe Gongfu follows Tanyang Gongfu and Bailin Gongfu as one of the "Three Great Gongfu Teas of Fujian." Crafted from fresh leaves of Zhenghe Large-leaf Tea (Da Cha) and small-leaf tea varieties (Xiao Cha), it undergoes meticulous processing.

Zhenghe Gongfu tea features plump, robust leaves with a glossy black sheen, golden buds, a deep red infusion, and an intense, fragrant aroma with hints of violet. Its mellow flavor makes it suitable for both pure brewing and blended beverages.

The tea origin, Zhenghe County, is located at the southeastern foothills of the Wuyi Mountains. The county features elevations ranging from 200 to 1000 meters. Its landscape is characterized by lush, layered mountains shrouded in mist, dense forests, and fertile soil.

It has a humid subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of approximately 18.5°C, a frost-free period of about 260 days, and annual rainfall exceeding 1,600 millimeters. Tea gardens are predominantly cultivated on gently sloping forested land with deep, fertile, slightly acidic soil, ideal for tea plant growth.

Zhenghe Gongfu is categorized into two types based on variety: large-leaf tea and small-leaf tea.
Large-leaf tea is made from Zhenghe Da Bai tea plants, featuring tightly rolled, round leaves with abundant downy hairs, a rich flavor, deep red liquor, and a fresh, sweet aroma. Small-leaf tea is produced from small-leaf varieties, characterized by slender, tightly rolled leaves, an aroma reminiscent of Qimen black tea, and a mellow, harmonious taste. Primary processing involves withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying.
During refinement, large-leaf and small-leaf teas undergo separate sorting, tip selection, and grading before blending in proportion. The finished product primarily features large-leaf tea, highlighting its abundant downy hairs and rich flavor, complemented by the high fragrance of small-leaf tea. Thus, the tea leaves are uniformly shaped with visible downy tips, boasting both excellent appearance and aroma.

Yunnan red tea, commonly known as 滇红Dianhong, is a distinctive large-leaf variety among Chinese red teas. Sun-dried tea is a category of Dianhong, distinguished by its core processing method: natural sun-drying during the drying stage instead of traditional oven drying. Compared to traditionally oven-dried Dianhong, Nannuo sun-dried red tea possesses a deep, lingering aroma with floral and fruity notes. Retaining partial enzymatic activity, it offers potential for post-oxidation transformation and is well-suited for long-term storage after compression.

Nannuoshan 南糯山 is located east of Menghai County in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, with an average elevation of 1,400 meters. Annual precipitation ranges from 1,500 to 1,750 millimeters, and the average annual temperature is 16-18°C. With 126-150 foggy days annually, the region experiences rich variations in light exposure, promoting the accumulation of flavor compounds in tea leaves. The soil primarily consists of red soil and yellow-brown soil, rich in organic matter, providing optimal ecological conditions for tea tree growth.

Nannuo sun-dried red tea is crafted from Yunnan large-leaf varietal tea leaves sourced from Nannuo Mountain. The production process involves fresh leaf picking, withering, rolling, oxidation, and natural sun-drying. Unlike high-temperature drying, sun-drying induces mild secondary oxidation, yielding the distinctive flavor profile characteristic of sun-dried red tea.

Fresh sun-dried dianhong tea exhibits a predominantly floral honey sweetness with a full-bodied, gentle, and delicate taste. As storage time increases, the mouthfeel evolves toward a smoother, more mellow profile, while the aroma gradually develops notes of aged honey sweetness, floral tones, and date-like sweetness.
Retaining partial enzymatic activity, sun-dried dianhong possesses the ability to undergo continuous transformation under proper storage conditions, developing the unique quality of becoming "more fragrant with age."

Changning red tea is produced from fresh leaves of Yunnan large-leaf tea trees harvested within Changning County. The region preserves over 200,000 ancient tea trees, some over a thousand years old, earning it the title of "Millennium Tea Homeland."

Changning is situated on the banks of the Lancang River in western Yunnan Province, at the intersection of the 24°N "Golden Tea Line" and the premium tea-growing region of the Lancang River basin.
The terrain slopes gradually from northwest to southeast, with the highest elevation reaching 2,876 meters and the lowest at 608 meters. It features a subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 15.3°C and annual rainfall ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 millimeters. The soil is predominantly red-yellow loam with acidic properties, ideal for tea cultivation.
With a forest coverage rate of 60.43%, it is renowned as the "Green Pearl of Western Yunnan."

Yingde red tea, produced in Yingde City, Guangdong Province, is crafted from fresh leaves of high-aroma tea varieties, processed according to standardized methods.
Yingde is acclaimed as the "Hometown of Chinese Red Tea," and its red tea production techniques were included in the Guangdong Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects List in 2022.

Yingde red tea features tightly rolled leaves with a dark, lustrous color. It boasts a sweet, floral aroma that is sharp and penetrating, a bright, vivid red infusion, and a rich, mellow, sweet, and smooth taste.

Yingde City, located in the northwestern part of Guangdong Province along the middle reaches of the Beijiang River, features a topography that slopes from north to south. Situated in a transitional zone between the South Subtropical and Mid-Tropical climates, its tea gardens are predominantly distributed across gently sloping hills, characteristic of karst topography. The climate is warm and rainy, with no severe winters or scorching summers. The annual average temperature is 20.7°C, annual average rainfall is 1,876.8 mm, annual relative humidity is 79%, and the frost-free period lasts 316.7 days. The soil is predominantly red and yellow, deep and fertile, acidic with a pH of 4.5-5.5, and rich in organic matter—ideal for tea cultivation.

The region boasts diverse tea varietal resources. Early cultivation centered on Yunnan Large-leaf and Phoenix Wulong varieties, later successfully expanding to include high-aroma cultivars such as Yinghong No. 9, Yinghong No. 1, Wulinghong, and Xiuhong. Among these, Yinghong No. 9 has become the signature variety representing Yingde black tea.

Yingde red tea production involves exquisite craftsmanship and key processes called "aroma enhancement" after drying. The refining stage is particularly meticulous along sixteen steps. Each step undergoes strict control of moisture, temperature, and humidity, blending the essence of traditional Chinese red tea craftsmanship with Western techniques, embodying the dedication and wisdom of artisans. It is precisely this pursuit of perfection in craftsmanship that enables Yingde red tea to exhibit its unique flavor profile of "rich, mellow, sweet, and fragrant."

Herbal Red Tea is a blended tea beverage using red tea as its base, combined with various ingredients recognized as both food and medicine. It embodies the Chinese medicine principles of "food as medicine" and "harmony" by balancing the properties of ingredients to harmonize the body's yin and yang. A classic cup typically includes red tea, mulberries, red dates, longan, goji berries, chrysanthemum flowers, and other components.
Red tea has a warming nature that soothes the stomach and dispels cold. Red dates - jujubes - and longan provide natural sweetness, offering quick energy replenishment and fatigue relief. Mulberries promote saliva production and moisturize dryness, goji berries enhance vision, longan calms the mind, and chrysanthemum clears heat. Together, they synergistically nourish Qi and blood.

The ancestor to herbal teas originated along the Silk Road during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. At that time, merchants from various ethnic groups traveling for trade exchanged and shared teas, dried fruits, and spices from different regions along the route. They would blend and simmer these ingredients together to drink, alleviating fatigue from their journeys and forging new friendships. This beverage evolved over generations into the Eight Treasures Tea - Babaocha we know today.
In Northwest China, it transcends daily consumption to become an essential offering during festive celebrations and hospitality, embodying aspirations for a "sweet and blissful" life.

There is no fixed formula for herbal red tea. Its essence lies in "harmony": achieving health benefits through scientifically balanced combinations, as modern research confirms the synergistic effects of its diverse ingredients.