Why is this Pu’er tea brand named LAOTONGZHI（老同志）?
The phrase "Those who share virtue share hearts; those who share hearts become comrades" originates from Guoyu·Jinyu IV (《国语·晋语四》), a historical text by Qiuming Zuo (左丘明) during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
By modern times, the term "comrade"evolved to specifically refer to members of proletarian political parties striving for communism.
‘LAOTONGZHI’ (老同志), meanwhile, became an honorary title in post-1949 China for esteemed elders or individuals who made exceptional contributions in their fields.
So why would a renowned Pu’er tea brand choose the name ‘LAOTONGZHI’?
The Origin of the LAOTONGZHI Brand
1. A Tea Merchant’s Request to Master Bingliang Zou (邹炳良)
In 1997, Mr. Yang, a tea merchant from the Taiwan region of China, learned that local tea enthusiasts highly prized Pu’er tea supervised by Master Zou. He sought out Bingliang Zou (邹炳良), then a consultant for Yunnan Provincial Tea Company and a lifetime achievement master of Pu’er tea, to commission a batch of tea bricks for sale in Taiwan.
2. Ingenuity Under Special Circumstances
Due to cross-strait trade restrictions at the time, product labels could not be printed directly on packaging. Master Zou and Mr. Yang devised a creative solution: they manually fire-branded product details onto bamboo slips and embedded these slips into the tea bricks. This allowed the products to pass customs smoothly while enabling tea drinkers to identify the tea’s origin through the bamboo slips.
3. Naming the LAOTONGZHI Pu’er Brick Tea
With the labeling resolved, the question remained: what to name the product?
Mr. Yang learned that Master Zou, after 40 years of dedication to the tea industry and countless contributions to Yunnan’s tea sector, was revered by peers as ‘LAOTONGZHI’ (老同志). Thus, the tea bricks were aptly named ‘LAOTONGZHI Pu’er Brick Tea’.
Each bamboo slip fire-branded with the words:
•"LAOTONGZHI Pu’er Brick Tea. Produced under the responsibility of Bingliang Zou, Director and Chief Engineer of Menghai Tea Factory"
was pressed into the tea bricks. These became the now-legendary ‘LAOTONGZHI 97 Ripe Brick’.
4. The Legacy of the "Bamboo Slip Nei Fei（内飞）"
The ‘LAOTONGZHI 97 Ripe Brick’ quickly gained popularity not only in Taiwan but also in mainland China. Tea enthusiasts flocked to Haiwan Tea Industry (海湾茶业) with the bamboo slips, urging Master Zou to continue production.
Thus, the bamboo slip became a permanent anti-counterfeit feature embedded in ‘LAOTONGZHI’ tea bricks.
From then on, ‘LAOTONGZHI Tea Brick’ emerged as both a product name and a symbol of Pu’er tea’s cultural heritage.
2nd Generation LAOTONGZHI Bamboo Slip Nei Fei
（ "Nei Fei refers to the traditional embedded authentication label in Pu'er tea packaging.")
The Meaning Behind the LAOTONGZHI Logo
In 2002, Haiwan Tea Industry creatively designed the ‘LAOTONGZHI’ logo. Among many uplifting motifs, the sunflower was chosen to symbolize sunlight, harvest, positivity, growth, and humility in success.
Three sunflowers represent steadfast support for China’s policy of "One Core, Two Basic Points" at the time.
In 2003, Haiwan Tea Industry officially registered the ‘LAOTONGZHI’ trademark, marking the dawn of a Pu’er tea legend.
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A Rare and Legendary Treasure
LAOTONGZHI-97 Ripe Brick
Twenty-seven years have passed, yet the imprint of this era remains unforgettable.
Today, the ‘LAOTONGZHI-97 Ripe Brick’ has become a rare gem, cherished by collectors and tea connoisseurs alike.
