Abstract: Historical originations as well as cultural connotations of Chinese dark tea (CDTs), like Sichuan brick tea, Hunan dark tea, Hubei dark tea, Pu’er tea and Guangxi Liubao tea were described elaborately in this review. Particularity of the quality and process as well as the regional cultural individuality were pointed out to be the reason that resulted in the different development course of CDTs. Afterwards, technological process of CDTs was combed generally. Processing technology from different producing areas distinguished with each other mainly due to the orientation of consumption customs and the compression process during the refining of CDTs. At the end, taking regulation of quality and standardized production into consideration, innovation as well as inheritance of traditional craft and mechanization of processing would be the development direction in the future.