Tea trade starts to find the right blend

Wuhan plans to invest 100 billion yuan in the industry as new business policies are rolled out to help sell products across the world

Before there were high-speed rail networks and airports, Wuhan used to be the epicenter of the tea trade. In the 19th century, camel caravans packed with an assortment of "tea bricks" would wind their way from the capital of Hubei province toward Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Irkutsk in Russia.

Back then, the journey could take months. Today, it takes just days as the camel caravans have been replaced by massive cargo jets and new rail services heading west.