Southern-route border tea
Dark-tea tradition centred on Ya’an in Sichuan, historically supplied to Tibetan and other western markets.
Also sold or written as 1#
- Nanlu Biancha
Notes#
A production region and a trade route#
Southern-route border tea is a regional manufacturing tradition, not a synonym for every tea sold in Tibet. Its Ya’an production centre and historical western trade are documented by the heritage account.
The same account relates the southern-route designation to tea from the Ya'an area assigned to the Kham–Tibet trade during the Qing period. The name therefore carries a production-and-distribution history; it is not evidence that the leaf was grown in Tibet. Compare Jingyang Fu brick tea for another case where manufacturing and trade geography must be separated from leaf origin.
Repeated steaming, rolling and piling#
The national heritage account describes a traditional primary sequence with successive steaming, rolling, piling and drying operations, followed by sorting, blending and compression of the finished product. This differs from a simplified picture in which every dark tea is made by one identical fermentation step. The historical sequence should not be imposed on every modern factory's equipment.
Where to buy#
| Product | Vendor | Price | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
Tibetan Dark Tea Brick in Yellow Paper Kang Zhuan (420 g)
Details and price notes420 g yellow-paper wrapped Kangzhuan brick (product ID 16095). |
Dragon Tea HouseWorldwide |
$29.99 / 420 g | $7.14 ≈ $0.50 a session |
| Ya'an Kang Zhuan Tibetan Brick Tea | King Tea MallWorldwide |
$15.99 / 100 g | $15.99 ≈ $1.12 a session |
1990s Yijing Tea Factory Sichuan Tibetan Brick Tea (Kangzhuan, 250 g)
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
Shop base currency EUR. Includes German VAT (MwSt.); excludes shipping. |
LaifufuSelected destinations |
€90.00 / 250 g | $40.37 €36.00 / 100 g ≈ $2.83 a session |
2018 Yijing Factory Tibetan Brick Zangcha (50 g)
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
50 g portion (variant 49644579750217) at €23.00 EUR; full 250 g original bamboo package also available at €90.00. |
LaifufuSelected destinations |
€23.00 / 50 g | $51.59 €46.00 / 100 g ≈ $3.61 a session |
Biodynamic Ya'an Tibetan Heicha (Zang Cha) Brick (200 g)
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
Shop base currency USD. The seller's pages do not state whether this price includes tax. Excludes shipping. |
Tea & WhiskSelected destinations |
$150.00 / 200 g | $75.00 ≈ $5.25 a session |
Roasted Tibetan Heicha (28 g / 1 oz)
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
1 oz (28 g) sample pack (variant 50250036019443); 2 oz ($47.00), 3 oz ($69.00), 4 oz ($91.00), and 6 oz ($135.00) packs also available. |
Tea & WhiskSelected destinations |
$24.00 / 28 g | $85.71 ≈ $6.00 a session |
Prices recorded on the dates checked. Conversions use ECB rates dated 2026-10-20; original prices appear alongside. Origin, age and cultivar are stated by the vendor.
Prices by sales channel#
Show as table
| Product | Vendor | Channel | per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tibetan Dark Tea Brick in Yellow Paper Kang Zhuan (420 g) | Dragon Tea House | International retail | $7.14 |
| Ya'an Kang Zhuan Tibetan Brick Tea | King Tea Mall | International retail | $15.99 |
| 1990s Yijing Tea Factory Sichuan Tibetan Brick Tea (Kangzhuan, 250 g) | Laifufu | International retail | $40.37 |
| 2018 Yijing Factory Tibetan Brick Zangcha (50 g) | Laifufu | International retail | $51.59 |
| Biodynamic Ya'an Tibetan Heicha (Zang Cha) Brick (200 g) | Tea & Whisk | International retail | $75.00 |
| Roasted Tibetan Heicha (28 g / 1 oz) | Tea & Whisk | International retail | $85.71 |