Also known as green brick tea or “Chuan” character tea, Hubei Lao Qing Cha is primarily produced in counties and cities such as Chibi, Puqi, Xianning, Tongshan, Chongyang, and Tongcheng in Hubei Province, and belongs to the dark tea category. “Lao Qing Cha” refers to both the tea tree variety and the dark tea produced from it. Key characteristics include high density, a sweet and mellow flavor with a lingering aftertaste, and it is frequently pressed into tea bricks, making it a rising star in the world of dark tea.
Hubei Lao Qing Cha: The World's Premier Origin of Chibi Green Brick Tea
Yunnan Pu-erh tea and Hunan Anhua dark tea are both widely celebrated dark teas. By comparison, fewer people know that Hubei also produces dark tea, and its quality is second to none compared to Pu-erh and Anhua dark tea—this is Hubei Lao Qing Cha. Primarily crafted into green brick tea from mature Lao Qing tea trees, Hubei Lao Qing Cha offers a flavor profile vastly different from Yunnan large-leaf varieties and Anhua dark loose tea. Hubei Lao Qing Cha is notably sweeter and more mellow in its aftertaste, with a quality that easily rivals other types of dark tea.
Hubei Lao Qing Cha undergoes processes such as fermentation, screening, refinement, steaming, compression, and drying. The manufacturing method is similar to other dark teas, meaning it shares the characteristic of improving with age. Traditionally crafted Hubei Lao Qing Cha features a bright, orange-red liquor, a pure aroma, and a smooth, robust flavor. It is commonly shaped into bricks, cakes, or chocolate-style blocks.
Chibi Green Brick Tea and Yangloudong Green Brick Are the Most Famous
Hubei Lao Qing Cha is considered the best Chinese dark green brick tea, though its popularity has historically lagged behind Yunnan Pu-erh tea and Hunan Anhua dark tea. Today, Hubei Lao Qing Cha is primarily marketed under the name “Chibi Green Brick Tea,” with “Yangloudong” being the most renowned production area. Yangloudong green brick tea enjoys an exceptionally high reputation in the tea market, with a single brick aged over a decade commanding tens of thousands of RMB—a truly staggering price.