On November 1, 11 international students from 8 countries including Russia, Mongolia, and Thailand launched a field trip themed "Rewalking the Tea Road, Encountering the East" in Chibi, Hubei. At the Inheritance Hall of Zhaoliqiao Brick Tea Making Craft—a national intangible cultural heritage (ICH) built by Hubei Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory Co., Ltd.—the students experienced this human ICH under the personal guidance of inheritors from the factory. The perseverance and inheritance of Hubei Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory Co., Ltd.'s craftsmen across generations have preserved this ICH tea culture, allowing the friendship of the Wanli Tea Road to continue in the new era.
Organized by the Wuhan International Cultural Exchange Center and undertaken by the Wuhan International Communication Center of Changjiang Daily, this field trip for international students along the Hubei section of the Wanli Tea Road is a key part of the "Rewalking the Tea Road, Encountering the East" joint field trip for Chinese and foreign young students. They personally felt the ICH charm of Chinese green brick tea making craft, explored the historical style of the "Oriental Tea Port", revisited the cross-Eurasian tea trade history amid curling tea fragrance, and traced the transnational cultural exchanges linked by the Wanli Tea Road.
Experiencing Green Brick Tea Making Under On-site Guidance
Inside the Inheritance Hall of Zhaoliqiao Brick Tea Making Craft (a national ICH), the international students personally experienced traditional processes such as weighing, steaming, and pressing green brick tea under the guidance of Zhang Kui, the fifth-generation inheritor of the craft. "These steps are the most ancient brick tea making techniques," Zhang Kui explained. "First, weigh the tea leaves, then steam them to soften, press them, and let them set. Finally, a piece of green brick tea is produced."
International students experience pressing green brick tea at the Chinese Green Brick Tea ICH Inheritance Hall.
"I think this is one of the best examples of China-Russia friendship," sighed Rafi, a doctoral student from Russia at Wuhan University's Law School, after the visit. He had previously learned about China-Russia tea trade sporadically at museums in Hangzhou, but this trip to the birthplace of Chinese green brick tea and hands-on production left a particularly deep impression. "We saw some tools in the museum and personally experienced how tea is made. We can truly understand the hardships of workers back then — it takes a lot of effort to produce good tea."
International students visit the 10,000-mu tea garden in Chibi.
Although seemingly simple, green brick tea was once an important commodity connecting trade between China, Mongolia, and Russia in history, and still maintains a solid consumer base in these countries. From the perspective of tea-drinking habits, Aisika, a Russian graduate student at Central China Normal University, explained why green brick tea has become a "national tea in Russia": "Russia's traditional samovar has high requirements for the cookability of tea leaves, and green brick tea perfectly meets this need." She said this visit made her deeply realize that Chinese tea culture has long been integrated into the daily life of both countries.
Perseverance and Inheritance of Craftsmen Across Generations at Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory
The fragrance of tea not only awakened the historical memories of Russian students but also stirred the homesickness of Mongolian students. "This taste is almost the same as the tea my grandmother made," said Yu Yanyan, a Mongolian doctoral student at Wuhan University, as she tasted the green brick tea, instantly recalling childhood memories and being moved to tears.
She explained that in Mongolia, people are used to boiling brick tea with milk and salt, and it is an indispensable drink in daily life. She also specially mentioned the story of "sheep coming and tea going": "Since ancient times, China and Mongolia have shared a profound friendship. We donated sheep to China, and China reciprocated with tea — I am very grateful for this."
Behind the tea making processes experienced by the students is the perseverance and inheritance of craftsmen across generations. At Hubei Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory Co., Ltd. — a "China Time-honored Brand" whose brick tea making craft has been successfully included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — the inheritance context of the craft is clearly visible.
Zhang Kui, the fifth-generation inheritor of Zhaoliqiao Brick Tea Making Craft, said: "Yangloudong is one of the sources of the Wanli Tea Road. We transport our products to Europe, connecting China and Europe with green brick tea, and letting the world know the health benefits of Chinese tea." He added: "Promoting Chinese ICH helps foreigners understand China's most ancient tea making techniques and showcases the unique charm of Chinese tea."
Yuan Weifeng, the sixth-generation inheritor, is mainly responsible for wet pile fermentation — a core process. He entered this industry under the influence of his father. "Wet pile fermentation relies entirely on the master's intuition and experience," he explained in detail. "The key steps are sprinkling water, piling the tea, and observing its color, aroma, and temperature... All these depend on the years of experience of senior craftsmen." He emphasized that this process cannot be replaced by mechanization currently: "First, we need to control the moisture content and check the temperature every day — neither too high nor too low. Generally, we need to turn the pile four or five times to form a large tea pile with crisscrossing holes inside, just like a maze."
"This activity allowed me to experience Chinese tea culture more deeply and enhanced my understanding of the relations between the two countries," Aisika's feeling echoed the voices of many students on the trip. From the centuries-old tea making craft to the expanding overseas market, this heavy green brick tea has long transcended the category of a drink and become an emotional link and cultural bridge connecting history and the future, China and the world. This tea-seeking journey has breathed new vitality into the ancient tea road through the personal participation and dialogue of the younger generation.
In the future,Zhaoliqiao Tea Factory (a subsidiary of Hubei Tea Group Co., Ltd.) will continue to uphold the spirit of craftsmanship, promote ICH tea culture, attract more young people's attention to the human ICH Zhaoliqiao Brick Tea Making Craft, enhance brand communication effects, steadily advance its "going global" strategy, and help ChuTianHao Tea from Hubei march towards the world.
