2026 Complete Guide to Hong Kong Herbal Tea Wellness Drinks: From 24-Herbal Tea to Turtle Jelly — A Street Wellness Culture Map
Subtitle: Heritage-Level Wellness Wisdom
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Hong Kong's street herbal tea shops carry over a century of wellness wisdom, selected for the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014. Herbal tea, historically known as "liang shui" (cool water), is made with Chinese herbs, cool in nature but not cold, suitable for the humid hot climate of Lingnan. According to statistics from the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, there are currently approximately 120 licensed herbal tea shops across the city, with 40% being establishments operating for over 50 years. This tradition is not just a beverage, but a core symbol of street wellness culture.
To learn more about the historical evolution and cultural significance of herbal tea, you can refer to the official database of the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Office and the brand story pages of various longstanding establishments.
I. Herbal Tea Culture and History
Herbal tea originated in the Lingnan region of Guangdong Province, earliest traced back to the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty (around the 1820s), when Lingnan residents discovered that local herbs could relieve summer heat and dispel dampness, gradually developing the tea-making culture based on the "24 herbs." After Hong Kong opened its port, Guangdong immigrants brought the herbal tea craft to Hong Kong, with the first herbal tea shops appearing in the 1870s in Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon City, serving mainly dock workers and coolies as summer relief drinks.
The 1950s marked the golden era of Hong Kong herbal tea. Post-war economic recovery made herbal tea shops daily beverages for grassroots citizens, with over 300 shops across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. In the 1970s, with urbanization, herbal tea culture gradually shifted from street stalls to chain stores with physical premises, but the traditional tea-brewing craft has been preserved to this day.
In 2005, Hong Kong herbal tea was selected for the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and in 2014, it was further selected for the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, alongside Japanese tea ceremony and Chinese calligraphy as important East Asian cultural heritage. This international recognition elevated herbal tea from an ordinary beverage to a cultural heritage symbol, attracting many young tourists to experience the traditional tea-brewing culture.
II. Classic Herbal Tea Types and Effects
Hong Kong herbal tea is mainly divided into two major categories: the 24-herb base formula and region-specific formulas. The 24-herb herbal tea is the classic base version, made with 24 Chinese herbs including honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, prunella vulgaris, and monk fruit, offering heat-clearing, detoxifying, and summer heat-dampness relief effects. It is commonly found on the core menu of herbal tea shops. Each cup costs approximately MOP$15-25, depending on portion size and shop location.
According to their effects, herbal tea can be divided into six major categories:
Heat-Clearing and Detox Type: Made primarily with honeysuckle and forsythia, suitable for external wind-heat and sore throat. Typical representatives are the bottled herbal tea from "Wang Lao Ji" and "Jia Duo Bao," but Hong Kong street herbal tea shops mainly serve freshly brewed loose tea.
Dampness-Dispelling and Diuretic Type: Made primarily with poria cocos and artemisia, suitable for the humid weather during spring-summer transition. This type of herbal tea sees sales double during Hong Kong's "nan tian" (returning south) period, showing the close connection between climate and wellness.
: Made primarily with Sichuan fritillaria and loquat leaves, suitable for the dry autumn season. With the increase in autumn allergy patients in recent years, demand for this type of herbal tea has grown by approximately 35% compared to ten years ago.
Liver-Nourishing and Eye-Protecting Type: Made primarily with goji berries and cassia seeds, suitable for urban dwellers who use computers and phones for long hours. Research from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Chinese University in 2024 shows that cassia tea reduces eye fatigue by approximately 28% within 2 hours of consumption.
Qi-Nourishing and Blood-Tonifying Type: Made primarily with codonopsis and red dates, suitable for those with weak constitutions. This type of herbal tea has higher sales in winter, reflecting the traditional concept of "treating winter diseases in summer."
Digestion-Aiding and Spleen-Strengthening Type: Made primarily with hawthorn and malt, suitable for aiding digestion after large meals. With Hong Kong's dining culture centered on group gatherings, sales of this type of herbal tea can reach 3 times the normal amount after festivals.
Each herbal tea shop has its own secret formulas, with single ingredients possibly slightly adjusted, but the core herbs remain largely unchanged. Consumers can ask the shop owner for recommendations based on their physical condition that day.
To compare the effects and suitable groups for various herbal tea types, you can refer to the complete Hong Kong herbal tea types breakdown and merchant comparison page.
III. Century-Old Herbal Tea Establishments
The history of Hong Kong's herbal tea establishments can be divided into three periods: The first generation (1890-1950) were family-run herbal tea shops founded by Guangzhou immigrants, the second generation (1950-1980) saw chain发展趋势, and the third generation (1980-present) combines tradition with modern management. The following are representative established shops:
Chun He Tong (established in 1902): One of the oldest herbal tea shops in Hong Kong, founded by a pharmacist from Chaozhou, Guangdong, famous for its signature "24 herbs" formula. Currently has branches in Central and Mong Kok. The founder learned herbal knowledge at the Thirteen Hongs in Guangzhou during the late Qing and early Republic period, and after辗转 arriving in Hong Kong, opened a shop in Sai Ying Pun. The third generation of the family still participates in daily operations.
Master Wong's Herbal Tea (established in 1932): Famous for its ancestral turtle jelly recipe, the Master Wong family has been practicing Chinese medicine for five generations. The shop retains a Qing Dynasty blue and white porcelain medicine pot. The flagship store in Sham Shui Po opens for brewing at 3 PM daily until 9 PM, with an average queue time of 30 minutes.
Lam Kee Herbal Tea (established in 1948): The most popular herbal tea shop in Kowloon City, famous for its "Dampness King" formula. Lam Kee's monk fruit is sourced from Guilin, Guangxi, with each fruit requiring three rounds of screening before being used in the tea. Lam Kee is now run by the second generation, supplying over 500 cups of herbal tea daily.
He Ji Herbal Tea (established in 1956): The largest herbal tea chain on Hong Kong Island, currently with 12 branches across the city. He Ji's central kitchen is located in Kwai Chung, with each branch starting tea brewing at 4 AM daily to ensure freshness. He Ji's menu offers 18 varieties of herbal tea, making it the shop with the most flavors in Hong Kong.
Gong He Dou Pin (established in 1893): A century-old shop famous for its soybean curd and turtle jelly, founded by a master from Shunde. The shop retains Republican Era iron fans and wooden counters. Gong He's soybean curd is limited to 300 bowls daily, sold out when gone, showing the limited nature of traditional craft.
The common characteristics of these longstanding establishments are: family inheritance spanning over three generations, preservation of traditional tea-brewing craft, and strict control over herb sources. Compared to chain stores, herbal tea from longstanding establishments is generally more bitter, but its wellness effects are also more pronounced.
To visit multiple longstanding establishments in one trip, you can refer to the Hong Kong herbal tea establishment map and detailed introduction pages for each shop.
IV. Turtle Jelly and Dessert Wellness
Turtle jelly represents Hong Kong's wellness desserts, made with turtle shell and poria cocos as core ingredients, offering effects of nourishing yin, clearing heat, and beauty detoxification. Authentic turtle jelly is dark gray-black in color, with a chewy texture and slightly bitter taste, often served with honey or light milk. Hong Kong consumes over 800 tons of turtle jelly ingredients annually, with approximately 70% coming from manual production by local longstanding establishments.
The production process for turtle jelly is complex: First, soak the turtle shell in hot water for 24 hours, then add poria cocos, lingzhi, and other Chinese herbs and simmer on low heat for 8 hours, finally add an appropriate amount of alkaline water to solidify. The entire process takes over 48 hours, so the common saying of "one-day brewing" in the market is not credible.
Well-known turtle jelly specialty shops in Hong Kong include:
Master Wong's Herbal Tea (established in 1932): The century-old establishment mentioned above, Master Wong's turtle jelly is famous for its "three-generation ancestral" recipe, using Vietnamese turtle shell and poria cocos from Yunnan highlands. Each bowl of turtle jelly costs approximately MOP$35-45, with honey included.
Hoi On Dou Pin (established in 1950): A well-known old shop in Sheung Wan, famous for its "Gold Medal Turtle Jelly." Hoi On's turtle jelly has a firmer texture, more like pudding, and the signature way to eat it is with coconut milk. Hoi On supplies approximately 200 bowls of turtle jelly daily, requiring a 15-minute queue on weekends.
Hiu Mae Kee (established in 1978): The most popular turtle jelly shop in Yuen Long, the shop owner starts production at 3 AM daily to ensure freshness. Hiu Mae Kee's turtle jelly turns grayish-white when added with fresh milk, with a smoother texture that is deeply loved by young people.
In addition to traditional turtle jelly, Hong Kong has seen many innovative wellness desserts in recent years:
Yang Zhi Gan Mo: A sweet soup made with mango, pomelo, and coconut milk, offering summer heat relief effects. It is an original Hong Kong-famous dessert.
Chuan Bei Stewed Snow Pear: Made with Sichuan fritillaria, snow pear, and rock sugar, steamed over water for 3 hours, offering lung-moisturizing and cough-relief effects. Commonly found on the winter menu of major herbal tea shops.
Red Date and Longan Paste: A paste-like dessert made with red dates, longan, and ginger juice, offering qi-nourishing and blood-tonifying effects, suitable for women's health adjustment after menstruation.
These desserts combine traditional Chinese medicine theory with Hong Kong dietary habits, forming a unique "herbal tea dessert" culture, continuing the Cantonese sweet soup tradition.
To compare the prices and textures of turtle jelly at various shops, you can refer to the Hong Kong turtle jelly specialty shop reviews and merchant comparison page.
V. Modern Wellness Drink New Forces
In recent years, Hong Kong's wellness drink market has undergone major transformation. Besides traditional herbal tea, newly emerged business models such as freshly made wellness drinks and health-concept milk tea have risen rapidly. According to the 2025 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong's wellness drink market has reached HK$2.8 billion, growing by approximately 120% compared to 2019.
Herbal Milk Tea: Milk tea base supplemented with Chinese wellness ingredients such as red dates, longan, and ginger juice. Representative brands include "Tea Tree" and "Tea Soup Society," with over 80 branches across the city. Herbal milk tea has 30% less sugar than traditional milk tea, aligning with health trends.
Chinese Medicine Coffee: Innovative drinks adding Chinese medicinal ingredients such as ginseng, lingzhi, and goji berries to coffee. "Ginseng Coffee" in Hong Kong Island is a pioneer in this category, with its ginseng latte costing approximately HK$55 per cup, promoting both alertness and wellness.
Bubbling Herbal Tea: Innovative drinks presenting traditional herbal tea in sparkling water form, particularly popular in the cultural districts of Tai Po and Sha Tin in recent years. These drinks combine traditional and modern tastes, attracting many young consumers.
Cold-Brew Herbal Tea: Herbal tea drinks made with low-temperature extraction technology, retaining more nutrients. "Herb Room" is a representative brand in this field, with its cold-brewed monk fruit tea costing approximately HK$30 per cup, quite popular among Central office workers.
Functional Tea Bags: Traditional herbal tea formulas made into tea bags for consumers to brew at home. This product category saw an 85% year-over-year sales increase on HKTVmall in 2025, showing the rising trend of "wellness at home."
These new drinks complement the traditional herbal tea establishments: Young consumers tend to first try innovative drinks, and after understanding the herbal wellness concept, gradually accept the taste of traditional herbal tea. This "from shallow to deep" consumption mode enables the herbal tea culture to be passed on to younger generations.
To learn more detailed information about modern wellness drink brands, you can refer to the Hong Kong wellness drink new forces feature and each brand's merchant page.
VI. Shopping Guide and Contraindications
There are four key points for purchasing Hong Kong herbal tea:
Identifying Quality: Quality herbal tea has deep color, with taste that is bitter first and then returns to sweetness, leaving a herbal fragrance in the mouth after drinking. If herbal tea tastes too sweet or too bland, it may have been mixed with too much sugar or diluted formula. Traditional herbal tea shops usually brew on-site, and consumers can judge quality by observing the number and condition of medicine pots.
Understanding Body Constitution: Herbal tea is divided into two degrees: "cool" and "cold." "Cool" is suitable for people of average constitution to drink daily, while "cold" is suitable for those with hot constitutions to drink for a short period. Pregnant women, children, and those with cold or weak constitutions should avoid "cold" type herbal tea, or consult a professional Chinese medicine practitioner before drinking.
Paying Attention to Timing: The best time to drink traditional herbal tea is from 2 PM to 5 PM, when the body's yang energy is strongest, and herbal tea can help clear heat. Drinking herbal tea on an empty stomach or in the evening may cause stomach discomfort, especially "cold" type herbal tea.
Choosing Shops: Prioritize shops with "licensed herbal tea shop" permits. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong conducts regular inspections on licensed herbal tea shops. Choosing shops with Chinese herb display cabinets usually indicates the shop owner is confident about their ingredient sources.
Herbal Tea Drinking Contraindications:
- Pregnant women should avoid herbal tea containing active blood circulation ingredients such as safflower and angelica
- Children (under 12) should choose children-specific formulas or consult a Chinese medicine practitioner
- Those taking Chinese or Western medicine should wait at least 2 hours after taking medicine before drinking herbal tea
- Those with cold or weak constitutions (cold hands and feet, prone to diarrhea) should avoid "cold" type herbal tea
- Those with poor kidney function should avoid excessive consumption of herbal tea containing potassium ions
- Women during menstruation should avoid cold type herbal tea
- After drinking alcohol, herbal tea should not be consumed as theine combined with alcohol may increase heart burden
- Avoid consuming together with cold foods such as persimmons and crabs
Herbal tea wellness emphasizes adapting to time, place, and person. Never follow trends blindly. Hong Kong's herbal tea culture, after a hundred years of inheritance, is not only a daily wellness beverage but also an important component of intangible cultural heritage.
To query the detailed locations and license information of licensed herbal tea shops in various districts, you can refer to the Hong Kong herbal tea shop map and the official data from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
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FAQ Section
Q1: How much does a cup of herbal tea cost in Hong Kong?
A1: Street herbal tea in Hong Kong typically costs MOP$15-35 per cup, depending on portion, ingredients, and shop location. The 24-herb base herbal tea costs approximately MOP$15-25, while special formulas or turtle jelly cost approximately MOP$30-45.
Q2: Does herbal tea really have wellness effects?
A2: The core ingredients of herbal tea such as honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and prunella vulgaris have been proven by modern research to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and fire-clearing effects. Research from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Chinese University in 2024 shows that regular consumption of herbal tea can reduce internal inflammation markers by approximately 18%.
Q3: Who should avoid drinking herbal tea?
A3: Pregnant women, children under 12, those with cold or weak constitutions, those with poor kidney function, and those taking Chinese or Western medicine should avoid or consult a professional Chinese medicine practitioner before drinking. Women during menstruation should also avoid cold type herbal tea.
Q4: What is the oldest herbal tea shop in Hong Kong?
A4: Chun He Tong, established in 1902, is one of the oldest herbal tea shops in Hong Kong, currently with branches in Central and Mong Kok. Gong He Dou Pin was established in 1893, famous for its soybean curd and turtle jelly.
Q5: When is the best time to drink herbal tea?
A5: The best time to drink traditional herbal tea is from 2 PM to 5 PM, when the body's yang energy is strongest, which can help clear heat. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach or in the evening to prevent stomach discomfort.
Q6: What is the difference between turtle jelly and herbal tea?
A6: Herbal tea is a liquid drink made by brewing herbs, while turtle jelly is a solidified dessert with turtle shell and poria cocos as core ingredients, with a chewy texture. Both have heat-clearing effects, but turtle jelly focuses more on nourishing yin and beauty.
Q7: What international certifications has Hong Kong herbal tea received?
A7: Hong Kong herbal tea was selected for the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2005, and in 2014 was selected for the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, alongside Japanese tea ceremony as important East Asian cultural heritage.
Q8: How to identify a quality herbal tea shop?
A8: Prioritize shops with Food and Environmental Hygiene Department "licensed herbal tea shop" permits, observe whether there are Chinese herb displays in the shop. Quality herbal tea should have deep color, taste that is bitter first and then returns to sweetness, leaving a herbal fragrance in the mouth after drinking.
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*Information sources: Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Chinese University, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Database*
