In a landmark achievement for China's tea industry, the 2025 China tea regional public brand value evaluation report has crowned Yingde black tea as the nation's most valuable black tea brand, with its public brand value soaring to 5.178 billion yuan. This marks the first time the Guangdong-based tea has claimed the top spot in the black tea category, rising from second place in the previous assessment. The brand now ranks among China's top 20 tea regional public brands nationwide, underscoring its rapid ascent in both domestic and global markets.
Tea plantation base of an enterprise in the park. (Photo: Qingyuan Daily)
The evaluation analyzed 135 qualified tea brands using the CARD Model—a comprehensive framework that integrates market performance, consumer perception, and digital analytics. Data spanning 2022–2024 revealed Yingde black tea's exceptional growth trajectory, with its brand value surging from 4.773 billion yuan in 2024 to 5.178 billion yuan in 2025.
Yingde City, located in Guangdong's Qingyuan City, has cultivated a thriving tea ecosystem. The region boasts 181,600 mu (12,106.67 hectares) of tea plantations, yielding 18,000 tons of dried tea leaves annually. In 2024, the industry achieved a comprehensive output value of 9.045 billion yuan, driven by 880 tea enterprises, including eight provincial-level agricultural leaders. This robust growth has directly provided employment for 150,000 local residents.
Yingde students experience spring tea picking. (Photo: Qingyuan Daily)
Yingde black tea's success follows its historic role as a diplomatic envoy during the 2023 Sino-French summit, where it was served to heads of state, cementing its reputation as a "national treasure" tea. This recognition, combined with strategic brand-building efforts, has propelled Yingde black tea to the forefront of China's tea landscape.
Yingde black tea's rise coincides with Qingyuan's broader agricultural modernization efforts. While the city's "Qingyuan Chicken" and "Xiniu bamboo shoots" sectors have already surpassed 10 billion yuan in output, Yingde Black Tea is poised to join this elite club, with its 2024 value nearing the 10-billion-yuan threshold.
Author | Jiang Chang
Source | Qingyuan Fabu
Editor | Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He
