Chinese tea museum opens in New York

Guangzhou Wang Lao Ji Great Health Industry Corp, a subsidiary of the Chinese pharmaceutical maker Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group, opened its first overseas herbal tea museum on Monday.

The museum, located in New York City, will help the teamaker bring herbal tea culture, with a history of 190 years, to the United States, according to a senior executive of the company.

"Herbal tea is not just about history. We have also introduced modern features to the traditional Chinese product, aiming to better tap the overseas market," said Mi Qi, vice Party chief of the Guangzhou Wang Lao Ji Great Health Industry Corp.

The tea maker has built a sales network in 60 countries and regions, with an average yearly sales increase of about 30 percent in the overseas market.

"The United States has already become one of the largest markets for Chinese herbal tea. The opening of the museum would help us boost sales in the US market," Mi said.

According to Mi, Wang Lao Ji has plans to open 56 overseas museums to promote Chinese herbal tea culture in the near future.