Wong Lo Kat (), or Wanglaoji in Mandarin pinyin, is a Chinese herbal tea, and one of the most popular tea drinks in China today. It is sold in many forms and different types of cans or cardboard containers. Ingredients Wong Lo Kat contains a number of herbal infusions and decoctions, as well as sweeteners: Water Sugar Mesonas Chinesis Plumeria rubra Microcos paniculate Chrysanthemum Loncera japonica Prunella vulgris Licorice. History "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 (). 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. In around 1949, the Chinese government began seizing private companies and all associated assets. Wong Lo Kat's descendants established operations in Hong Kong, whilst all assets in Mainland China passed to a government-owned subsidiary. Trademark dispute in Mainland China After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, Wong Lo Kat (pronounced "Wanglaoji" in Mandarin) in mainland China has been owned by the government. "Wanglaoji"'s trademark right holder, Guangzhou Yangcheng Pharmaceutical (广州羊城药业), whose name was later changed to "Guangzhou Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd." (广州王老吉药业有限公司), a subsidiary of the state-owned Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (广州医药集团有限公司), licensed the right to use the "王老吉" trade mark to Hong Kong Hung To Group Co., Ltd. (香港鴻道集團有限公司), who marketed the Wong Lo Kat product in red cans, meanwhile the 250ml green carton version has been produced by Guangzhou Pharmaceutical themselves. In 1997, Hung To Group and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical signed a trademark license agreement. Hung To Group had legally gained the right to use "王老吉" and, its subsidiary, JDB Beverage Co., Ltd. (加多宝饮料有限公司; aka. Jiaduobao) had been the producer of the red can version of Wong Lo Kat in mainland China. JDB Group also used the traditional English name Wong Lo Kat in mainland China, which is the "王老吉" in Cantonese spelling since 1828. The trademark license was renewed in 2000 to make it valid until 2 May 2010. In 2002 and 2003, two additional extensions were signed, extending the validity to 2013 and 2020 respectively. The sales by JDB increased more rapidly than by Guangzhou Pharmaceutical. The sales of