With the same length and ring gauge, the Great Wall Cigar National Treasure looks exactly like the BHK 58.

It’s hard not to notice the striking resemblance between the latest offering from the Chinese brand Great Wall Cigar (GWC) and the Cohiba BHK 58, the most prestigious Cuban cigar, which was presented at the 2025 Festival del Habano. And for good reason: its dimensions (178 mm x 58) are virtually identical to those of the Cuban cigar.

Rarity is undoubtedly another factor: unveiled in China just before the Lunar New Year during four exclusive evenings, the GWC National Treasure might even be harder to find than its Cuban cousin. Only one hundred jars, each containing 12 cigars, have been produced, and they will be sold exclusively in mainland China. This ultra-limited series of just 1,200 vitolas is for a country with nearly 15 million cigar smokers.

The comparison ends there for this imposing cigar, which takes its name from another Chinese “national treasure”: the panda, whose face adorns the foot band and is also featured on the lid of the jars, whose shape is reminiscent of the bamboo on which the bear feeds.

Unlike its distant Cuban cousin, this cigar is not a puro: it is wrapped in an Ecuador wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filled with a blend of leaves from China (Szechuan) and Nicaragua.

A slimmed-down version for Hong Kong

It will also be significantly cheaper than the BHK 58. When questioned by L’Amateur, GWC explained that the jar of 12 cigars will be sold for 18,000 yuan (approximately €2,200). That’s about €180 per cigar. By comparison, the BHK 52 sells for €195, and the BHK 58 is expected to be over €300 each. While retailers may eventually sell it individually, the brand recommends that they keep the jars together. Each lucky buyer of a jar will receive a personalized card which, thanks to a QR code—essential in China—will grant them access to exclusive services and information.

Great Wall Cigar has also considered aficionados who won’t have the opportunity to purchase a full jar. A cigar bearing the same name but slightly smaller in size, equivalent to the BHK 56 (166 mm x 56) and with a slightly different band, will be sold concurrently in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This one will not be a limited edition. It will not be offered in a jar but in wooden boxes of 10. The price will also be reduced: around €120 per cigar. Worth trying if you happen to be visiting the former British colony.

Régis Besko