| Wong Lo Kat | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sample can version | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 王老吉涼茶 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 王老吉凉茶 | ||||||||||
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Wong Lo Kat (Chinese: 王老吉; ), now known as Wanglaoji in mainland China, is a Chinese herbal drink, and one of the most popular soft drinks in China. Wong Lo Kat is the Cantonese transliteration of its name in Chinese characters. Wong Lo Kat originated in 1828 during the Qing Dynasty in Guangdong (Kwangtung) and Guangxi (Kwangsi) provinces of China, founded by a doctor Wong Chat Bong (simplified Chinese: 王泽邦; traditional Chinese: 王澤邦; pinyin: Wang Zebang). Because the Wong family was the inventor of herbal tea brewing in southern China, the brand is synonymous with this type of drink. The recipe has been passed down through multiple generations to today's tea culture.[1]
The sales of the Wong Lo Kat brand is estimated at 2.244 billion RMB and sales at 12 billion RMB in 2008. In Mainland China it is available in red cans or small (250ml) cartons in most convenience stores.
Like many civilian and national entities after the Chinese Civil War, Wong Lo Kat became divided into two entities operating on the Mainland and outside of it. The Guangzhou Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. succeeded Wong Lo Kat as a state-owned enterprise in PRC, producing concentrate or other types of traditional herbal medicine. Wong Lo Kat's descendants established operations in Hong Kong.