Teahouses

Drinking tea is a nationwide institution, but Chengdu has always been famous for its numerous teahouses. In the past they were a place to meet and finalize deals, hold meetings or relax at the end of a hard day’s work listening to storytellers or watching troupes of performers. With over a thousand years of history, Chinese tea culture is perhaps best exhibited by the bamboo chairs and wooden tables found in the hundreds of tea houses throughout Chengdu, As early as the Western Han period, both tea trade and tea culture were very prosperous in Sichuan when Chengdu became the starting point of the Southern Silk Road. An old Chengdu saying goes, "Sunny days are rare, but teahouses are abundant". Teahouses have played diverse social roles in the history of Chengdu. Locals are passionate about going to teahouses, not only for tea, snacks, and entertainment, but also for social gatherings and business meetings.