Production of Sichuan black Tea began in Yibin during the spring and summer of 1951. However, at that time, only rough black tea could be produced locally, which then had to be transported to the Chongqing Tea Factory for refinement before being exported to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, increasing costs. Therefore, in March 1952, the Southwest Regional Company of the China Tea Corporation dispatched 36 technical staff and workers from Chongqing to Yibin to establish a refined tea factory.
The site chosen for the Yibin Tea Factory was located at the Nan'an Shangdu Port, facilitating the loading of tea onto ships for freight. During construction, 20 acres of land were allocated by the Yibin Special Administrative Region, along with the purchase of one warehouse from the Bao Yuantong Company and one building from the Dian Dong Company (a Yunnan-based business that opened a branch in Yibin during the Republican era and later became state-owned). These facilities were renovated to serve as workshops, warehouses, offices, and temporary dormitories. Initially, the Southwest Regional Company of the China Tea Corporation invested 66,500 yuan, and due to limited funds, bamboo fences were used as walls around the factory. Before the official sign was hung, the most distinctive feature of the factory was this bamboo fence.
Sichuan black tea produced by the Yibin Tea Factory being loaded onto ships bound for Chongqing
On June 4, 1952, the Yibin Tea Factory began trial production. At the start, the factory had only one circular sifter machine, with all other processes being carried out manually. By July 19th of the same year, the first batch of 317 baskets of refined black tea was produced. In just a short span of one and a half months, the largely handcrafted Yibin Tea Factory quickly established itself, achieving a daily production capacity of 1,000 catties.
On August 1, 1952, the Yibin Tea Factory was officially founded, known as “The Yibin Tea Factory of the China Tea Corporation.” Note that the name does not include either “Yibin Special Administrative Region” or “Yibin City,” marking it as a national-level enterprise in Yibin. Yibin Tea Factory became the starting point for Sichuan black tea, where “Sichuan Red” packed into wooden boxes was loaded onto river barges using track carts and shipped to Wuhan, Shanghai, and other locations for Export overseas.
Main entrance of the Yibin Tea Factory
Following its establishment, the Yibin Tea Factory rapidly expanded according to production needs, recruiting young workers and imparting the skills required for the production of Sichuan black tea. In 1952, the factory produced 2,358.7 baskets of “Sichuan Red” refined black tea within six months, generating sales revenue of 300,000 yuan, with fixed assets reaching 80,000 yuan by the end of the year and an increase in employees to 129 people.
After its construction, the Yibin Tea Factory continually updated its production techniques and machinery. It evolved from manual operations to the use of simple iron-wood tools. In 1964, the conveyor belts of the machinery were connected and assembled, initially changing single-machine operations. In 1982, the factory built a three-dimensional black tea workshop, replacing old machinery with new iron equipment, all linked together into a continuous production line, further reducing the labor intensity for workers and improving production efficiency and the factory's processing capacity.
Workers at the Yibin Tea Factory selecting tea leaves
Following its establishment in 1952, the Sichuan black tea produced by the Yibin Tea Factory was entirely delivered to the Shanghai Tea Corporation for blending and export through the Shanghai port to countries such as the Soviet Union, Germany, France, and Poland. In 1955, in addition to producing “Sichuan Red,” the factory also produced approximately 1,000 baskets of Green Tea, and in 1964, it added the production of dark tea (border tea), with over 7,000 baskets produced. By 1977, the production of “Sichuan Red” had reached 25,000 baskets, totaling 58,000 baskets when combined with other types of tea. In the 1980s, Yibin Tea began producing Pu'er tea, black broken tea, scented tea, and Tuocha. By 1985, at its peak, the Yibin Tea Factory produced 105,000 baskets of tea (including 40,000 baskets of “Sichuan Red”), with a value of more than 20 million yuan, occupying an area of 75,300 square meters and employing 743 workers.
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