Centuries after China started exporting tea to the world, it’s taking a new tea culture global

For over 2,000 years, tea has been consumed in China, becoming part of its social and cultural traditions before emerging as a global commodity in the 17th century, exported to Europe and markets worldwide.

Today, China is revitalizing its tea tradition for a new generation, with brands like Mixue and Chagee transforming tea into a customizable beverage and taking this contemporary tea culture overseas.

A new generation of tea goes abroad

In recent years, Chinese tea beverage brands have become an increasingly familiar sight beyond their home market. From Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to Los Angeles, chains specializing in freshly made tea and milk tea are establishing outlets in shopping districts, airports and university campuses, bringing a distinctly contemporary interpretation of Chinese tea culture to international consumers.

Among the fastest-growing is Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, which as of the end of June 2026, has a global network of 64,000 stores. The company began its international expansion with the opening of its first overseas store in Vietnam in 2018, and since then, Southeast Asia has remained its largest overseas market. Its vertically integrated supply chain and in-house production of key ingredients have helped it replicate the affordable, high-volume model behind its growth in China.

In Los Angeles, for example, its first store near Hollywood Boulevard offers ice cream for $1.19 and bubble tea starting at $3.99. “We are committed to ensuring that every consumer around the world can enjoy a high-quality product at an affordable price,” says Bai Di, head of public affairs at Mixue Group.

Other brands are pursuing different segments of the market. Chagee, which positions itself around modern interpretations of traditional Eastern tea, opened its first overseas store in Malaysia in 2019 and now operates 219 stores there, alongside 41 outlets in Singapore. In Indonesia, it operates through a joint venture with a subsidiary of local retailer Erajaya and has secured halal certification to meet local consumer expectations at its 36 stores across Greater Jakarta and Bali.

Other brands including ChaPanda, Heytea and Nayuki are also expanding internationally at varying speeds and scales, adding to a Chinese tea beverage sector that is becoming increasingly visible overseas.

Finding a local flavor

As store networks grow, brands are adapting flavors, ingredients and operations to the markets they enter. Mixue, for example, has adapted sweetness levels and tea bases in different countries, while increasing its selection of iced drinks and tropical fruit flavors for Southeast Asian markets.

For Chagee, localization has also provided a way to connect its Chinese tea identity with the modern cultures of individual markets. “Taste is the entry ticket,” says Shang Xiangmin, co-founder and vice president of Chagee. “Cultural connection and integration are what sustain consumer loyalty.” In Malaysia, Chagee collaborated with the National Textile Museum to incorporate traditional telepuk gold-leaf motifs into limited-edition cups, packaging and merchandise, celebrating the country’s textile heritage.

The brand also marked Singapore’s National Day in August 2025 with an Orchid Biluochun Milk Tea inspired by the Vanda Miss Joaquim, the country’s national flower. In 2026, it partnered with the Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM) and Singapore Tourism Board on a multisensory exhibition exploring tea culture and marking ACM’s first collaboration with a global lifestyle brand.

These approaches appear to be resonating particularly with younger consumers. By the end of 2025, Chagee’s membership across its overseas Asia-Pacific markets had grown 177 percent year on year, with 61 percent of members under the age of 30.

Mixue has taken a more playful route through Snow King, its snowman mascot, using multilingual animations and themed events to create a recognizable identity that can travel easily between markets.

Putting down deeper roots

As their international operations mature, local employment, sourcing, accessibility and nutrition are increasingly becoming part of Chinese tea brands’ overseas strategies, reflecting a broader transition from rapid expansion towards longer-term market development.

In Malaysia, Mixue employs approximately 2,900 local staff and has trained more than 4,000 people, while in Cambodia it is exploring the local sourcing of tropical fruits such as dragon fruit and passion fruit for product development.

Chagee has similarly incorporated social responsibility initiatives into its expansion, including a ‘silent store’ in Singapore employing hearing-impaired team members and equipped with accessible facilities.

Health and nutrition are also becoming more prominent as consumer expectations evolve. Chagee has introduced a calorie calculator on its app, and in December 2025, its Malaysia business became the first freshly made tea brand in the country to receive certification under the Healthier Dining Program, which sets nutritional criteria including limits on sugar content.

From ceremony and traditional teahouses to app-based ordering and customized drinks, the way tea is consumed has evolved while remaining an enduring part of everyday social life.

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