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: Wáng Zébāng).

Because the Wong family was the inventor of herbal tea brewing in southern China, the brand is synonymous with this type of drink.

Wong Lo Kat's descendants established operations in Hong Kong, whilst all assets in Mainland China passed to a government-owned subsidiary.

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.

[4] Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings' general manager Li Yiming (李益民) was found guilty of fraud in 2005.

Several days after the arbitration, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical started to produce their own red can Wanglaoji beverage.