Yihetang

Yihetang is a Chinese fresh-made tea beverage brand and franchise chain specializing in milk tea, fruit tea, and related drinks. The brand is particularly associated with baked milk products, in which milk is caramelized or otherwise treated to create a richer flavor profile before being combined with tea and other ingredients. It operates primarily through franchised stores and has become one of the larger participants in China's highly competitive bubble-tea market. The business traces its origins to Hu Jihong, who opened a beverage shop called Changyingang in 2006. Yihetang itself was formally established in 2012 under Wuhan Yihuiyin Technology Co., Ltd., while the company opened its chain-franchise program in 2013. Wuhan Yihuiyin Technology Co., Ltd. was established in April 2018 as the corporate entity associated with the brand. This structure enabled Yihetang to expand through franchise partners rather than relying only on company-operated stores. The chain expanded rapidly during the second half of the 2010s. By 2017, it reportedly had more than 1,000 stores in over 100 cities across 26 provincial-level regions in China. Its store count reached approximately 4,000 by 2019 and exceeded 5,000 franchised locations by 2022. By 2024, the number of contracted stores in China had surpassed 8,000. The brand also began international expansion in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Vietnam became one of its early overseas markets after entry in 2019. Yihetang competes in the value-oriented, high-volume segment of China's tea-drink industry. Its proposition combines recognizable milk-tea formats, relatively accessible pricing, rapid product turnover, and broad availability through franchised outlets. In southern China, industry coverage has described Yihetang and Mixue Ice Cream & Tea as influential operators in the fresh-made tea-drink segment. Yihetang's baked milk drinks provide a product identity that differentiates it from chains focused primarily on conventional milk tea, fruit tea, or ice cream. The company has periodically refreshed its branding and product presentation. In 2021, the brand underwent its sixth comprehensive upgrade and appointed Olympic weightlifting champion Lv Xiaojun as a spokesperson. Such initiatives formed part of its effort to modernize the brand and strengthen national recognition as the chain expanded beyond its original regional base. Yihetang's growth has also exposed the operational risks of a large franchise network. Individual franchisees have faced food-safety allegations, including a 2022 case in Zhengzhou involving expired or moldy ingredients and alleged manipulation of opened-material shelf lives. The company said it terminated cooperation with the franchisee involved and closed the store. The brand has also faced criticism over vulgar or gender-insensitive promotional wording and has taken steps to remove disputed content and issue an apology. In Vietnam, it established measures to clarify official authorization and respond to counterfeit or substandard products. These incidents illustrate the importance of franchise supervision, consistent food controls, and intellectual-property enforcement as Yihetang continues its domestic and regional expansion.

Yihetang's origins are linked to founder Hu Jihong, who opened a beverage shop called Changyingang in 2006. The business developed into a branded tea-drink operation, and the Yihetang brand was formally established in 2012 under Wuhan Yihuiyin Technology Co., Ltd. In 2013, the company began opening its chain to franchise partners, establishing the expansion model that would define much of its later growth. Wuhan Yihuiyin Technology Co., Ltd. was established in April 2018 as the corporate entity associated with the brand. The chain grew quickly during the 2010s as China's freshly prepared tea-drink sector expanded. By 2017, Yihetang reportedly had more than 1,000 stores across over 100 cities in 26 provincial-level regions. Its network reached about 4,000 stores by 2019. The company's core offer centered on milk tea and other freshly prepared beverages, with baked milk products becoming an important point of differentiation. These drinks use caramelized baked milk to produce a deeper flavor than standard milk-tea formulations. Yihetang continued to scale through franchising in the early 2020s. In 2021, it completed what was described as its sixth comprehensive brand upgrade and used Olympic champion Lv Xiaojun as a spokesperson. By 2022, the company had more than 5,000 franchised stores. By 2024, contracted stores in China exceeded 8,000, while the brand also operated in Southeast Asian markets including Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Vietnam was among its first overseas markets, with entry reported in 2019 and more than 30 stores subsequently associated with the market. The company's expansion occurred alongside increasing scrutiny of franchise controls. In May 2022, reports concerning Yihetang stores in Zhengzhou alleged the use of expired and moldy ingredients, as well as improper handling of the shelf lives of opened materials. Yihetang apologized through its official Weibo account, said that it had terminated its relationship with the franchisee involved, and stated that the store had been closed. The incident highlighted the difficulty of maintaining consistent food-safety standards across a large, independently operated network. Yihetang also faced a marketing controversy in July 2021 after promotional copy for a new product was criticized as vulgar and insulting toward women. The disputed videos and text were removed, and the company issued an apology on July 25, saying that inappropriate wording had caused public misunderstanding and a negative reaction. In Vietnam, the popularity of the brand was accompanied by reports of counterfeit or substandard products using its identity. Yihetang responded by clarifying the authorized Vietnamese branch, establishing a rights-protection team, and developing procedures intended to address infringement. Today, Yihetang remains an active Chinese tea-beverage brand focused on franchised retail outlets. Its competitive identity rests on high store density, mainstream pricing, a broad fresh-made beverage menu, and baked-milk milk teas. Its principal strategic challenges are maintaining product and food-safety consistency, protecting the brand across overseas markets, and sustaining differentiation in a crowded sector that includes both national chains and regional competitors.

• 2024

  Contracted domestic stores exceed 8,000

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Yihetang's contracted store count in China surpassed 8,000, with further locations in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

• 2022

  Franchise network exceeds 5,000 stores

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  The chain had more than 5,000 franchised locations.

• 2021

  Sixth comprehensive brand upgrade

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Yihetang completed a comprehensive brand upgrade and appointed Olympic champion Lv Xiaojun as a spokesperson.

• 2019

  Vietnam market entry

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Yihetang entered Vietnam and later developed a network of more than 30 stores there.

• 2018

  Wuhan Yihuiyin Technology Co., Ltd. is established

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  The corporate entity associated with the brand was established in April 2018.

• 2017

  Network exceeds 1,000 stores

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  The brand had more than 1,000 stores in over 100 cities across 26 provincial-level regions in China.

• 2013

  Chain franchising begins

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Yihetang began opening its chain system to franchise partners.

• 2012

  Yihetang brand is established

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Wuhan Yihuiyin Technology Co., Ltd. officially established the Yihetang tea-beverage brand.

• 2006

  Founder opens an early beverage shop

  [1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Hu Jihong opened a beverage store called Changyingang, the business predecessor associated with Yihetang's later development.

A mass-market, franchise-led fresh-made tea beverage chain combining accessible pricing, broad store coverage, and baked-milk milk-tea products.

• Milk tea

  Baked milk tea

  Yihetang's signature product family uses caramelized baked milk in freshly prepared milk-tea drinks. The preparation gives the beverage a richer, toasted, or caramel-like profile and serves as a central point of differentiation for the brand.

• Tea beverage

  Milk tea

  The brand's broader milk-tea range forms the foundation of its menu, combining brewed tea with milk, sweeteners, toppings, and other flavor components. Specific recipes and limited editions may vary by market and product cycle.

• Tea beverage

  Fresh-made tea drinks

  Yihetang operates within the fresh-made tea-drink category, preparing beverages to order in retail stores. The category includes milk-based teas, fruit-oriented teas, and seasonal combinations designed for high-volume service.

• Fruit tea

  Fruit tea

  Fruit teas broaden the menu beyond dairy-based drinks by combining tea with fruit flavors and related ingredients. They support seasonal merchandising and give customers an alternative to the chain's baked-milk specialties.

• 2022

  Zhengzhou franchise food-safety allegations

  Some Yihetang stores in Zhengzhou were reported to have used expired or moldy ingredients and to have mishandled the shelf-life records of opened materials. The company apologized, ended cooperation with the franchisee involved, and said the affected store had been closed.

  Source

• 2021

  Criticism of vulgar and sexist advertising copy

  Promotional language for a new product was criticized for insulting women and using vulgar references. Yihetang acknowledged inappropriate wording, apologized, and removed the relevant promotional content.

  Source

• Counterfeit products in Vietnam

  Yihetang's growth in Vietnam was accompanied by counterfeit and allegedly substandard products using the brand identity. The company clarified its authorized Vietnamese branch and established a rights-protection team and related enforcement procedures.

  Source

Read more

• 2021Sixth comprehensive brand upgrade

  China

  Yihetang carried out a comprehensive brand upgrade and used Olympic weightlifting champion Lv Xiaojun as a spokesperson as it sought to strengthen recognition during national expansion.

  Outcome. The upgrade was followed by continued store growth, although the supplied sources do not provide a standalone campaign performance measure.

  Source
• 2021New-product promotional video

  China

  Promotional material for a new beverage used wording that was criticized as vulgar and demeaning toward women.

  Outcome. Yihetang apologized on July 25 and removed the disputed videos and related content from multiple platforms.

  Source

• 2022

  Terminate a franchise relationship after food-safety allegationsOther

  Background

  Reports concerning Zhengzhou stores alleged the use of expired or moldy ingredients and improper shelf-life handling.

  Action taken

  Yihetang apologized, terminated cooperation with the involved franchisee, and stated that the affected store had been closed.

  Aftermath

  The response addressed the identified outlet, while the episode underscored the need for stronger consistency and oversight across the franchise network.

  Source

• 2021

  Complete a comprehensive brand upgradeStrategy

  Background

  The chain was expanding nationally and needed refreshed brand presentation and broader consumer recognition.

  Action taken

  Yihetang carried out its sixth comprehensive upgrade and appointed Lv Xiaojun as a spokesperson.

  Aftermath

  The brand continued expanding and exceeded 5,000 franchised stores by 2022.

  Source

• 2019

  Enter VietnamStrategy

  Background

  Yihetang began pursuing regional expansion beyond mainland China.

  Action taken

  The company entered Vietnam and developed an overseas store network.

  Aftermath

  The brand later reported more than 30 stores in Vietnam and addressed counterfeit-product concerns through authorization clarification and rights-protection measures.

  Source

• 2013

  Adopt chain franchisingStrategy

  Background

  The brand sought to expand beyond its initial beverage-shop origins across China's growing tea-drink market.

  Action taken

  Yihetang opened its chain system to franchise partners.

  Aftermath

  Franchising became the principal mechanism behind the chain's subsequent domestic store growth.

  Source

• 2024

  Yihetang expands its Southeast Asian presence[1]Yihetangen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The brand reported more than 8,000 contracted stores in China and overseas locations in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

1. 1Yihetangen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Research on the Marketing Strategy of Tea Industry from the Perspective of Consumers—Taking Yihetang as an Exampledoi.org