Ancient brick tea route to Russia experiences revival

WUHAN - In the 17th century, hundreds of thousands of merchants transported brick tea - blocks of compressed oolong tea or black tea - along a trade route that linked Central China's Hubei province with St. Petersburg, Russia.

The 6,500-kilometer ancient tea road has been restored to its former glory in recent years, as the tea trade between Hubei and countries along the route has been booming.

"In recent years, brick tea has fascinated many tea lovers in countries participating in the Belt and Road," said Li Xinhua, former director of the tea industry development bureau in Chibi, Hubei, which once was the starting point of the tea road.

Tea companies in Chibi, a major tea production base, with more than 10,000 hectares under cultivation, have been seeking to exploit markets in Russia, Kazakhstan and other central Asian countries since 2015.

To date, the companies have signed overseas deals worth more than $100 million.

"In the past, tea farmers in Chibi compressed tea into hard blocks to keep it dry and preserve its quality, as it could take months before it reached overseas customers," Li said.

Although faster logistics powered by modern transportation systems have rendered the method unnecessary, brick tea has continued to charm an increasing number of aficionados.

"The charm of brick tea lies in its production process, which involves working with your hands," said Sun Dunjia, a 63-year-old local inheritor of brick tea production. "The process can never be replaced by machines."

"Foreign customers have a fancy for the long history behind brick tea and its cultural significance," Sun added.

Tea producers in Chibi have also been adding modern touches to traditional brick tea to cater to diverse demand in expanding overseas markets.

"Traditional brick tea looks like big, heavy clay bricks, and it's hard to break it into pieces," said Jin Li, vice-general manager of a local tea company.

She said her company has developed a new type of brick tea - something like a chocolate bar - and is easy to break and carry.

"Overseas customers, especially young customers, prefer brick tea products that are smaller, such as tea bags and tea drinks," she said.

Thanks to such innovations, the company recorded more than 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in sales in overseas markets last year.

"Some customers even use our products as air filters because brick tea is an effective absorber," she said.

Xinhua