Milk tea brand proves all the rage in Hunan

For many people, new-style tea brand Chayan Yuese has become synonymous with Changsha, Hunan province, an increasingly popular tourist destination among young people. Many travelers have taken to trying the milk tea when visiting the provincial capital and sharing photos of the tea on social media platforms.

In a recent interview with China Daily, founder Sun Cuiying said she credits the brand's popularity to favorable conditions including young people becoming more confident in traditional Chinese culture.

"Young people born after the 1990s are beginning to mature, and they are more confident in Chinese culture. They are also more patriotic so they like Chinese-style products," Sun said.

"We want to thank people for liking us and we feel the pressure is also somewhat intimidating given the product's popularity," she said, adding that the brand will work harder to win even more fans. She also believes the popularity of Changsha is not attributable to a single brand, but is the result of joint efforts from the government and other brands.

Sun and her husband Lyu Liang opened their first milk tea shop in 2013 in Changsha. They had tried other businesses, which all failed.

The company now owns more than 500 shops in 14 cities and employs more than 7,000 people. It expects to open more shops in four cities in Hunan in March and April.

Social media presence

Through its logo and marketing style, Chayan Yuese has a strong presence on social media platforms and is very active in communicating with its fans.

Most of its shops are in Changsha and the city has become a new "IT "city for young people to travel. Drinking Chayan Yuese and posting photos on social media platforms have become common practices for most tourists.

While most of its tea is sold for around 20 yuan ($2.77) a cup, some people have shelled out several hundred yuan to manually carry larger quantities of the tea back to their hometowns.

When the company opened its first shop in Wuhan, Hubei province, in December 2020, the line of patrons stretched for hundreds of meters, leading to some having to wait up to eight hours for a cup of tea.

When the beverage brand opened a pop-up store in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in 2021, it was also met with unreserved enthusiasm among that city's young, well-to-do residents.

Police had to intervene to manage the crowds while scalpers were able to resell a cup of its signature tea — a black tea mixed with milk and topped with whipped cream and crushed pecans — for up to 300 yuan.

Feng Baoyi, 27, came to Changsha with her mother and son from Guangzhou, Guangdong, and the three became big fans of the beverage.

Yang Kun, 25, from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, said he likes the floral taste of the tea, which is also combined with the taste of tea and milk. He drinks one cup of tea from the brand every day in Changsha.