People in Teahouse.Beijing teahouses are not only places to drink a cup of tea; they are also good places to soak up the traditional local culture. Performances such as the Beijing Opera, acrobatics, magic tricks and comic dialogues are usually given in these teahouses. Food and snacks may be served at some teahouses.
Now let's have a look at the four best teahouses in Beijing.
1. Lao She Teahouse 老舍茶馆
Built in 1988, Lao She Teahouse was named after an artist, Lao She, and his famous theater. This teahouse is full of Beijing's unsophisticated style, with elegant furnishings.
People there can enjoy a splendid performance every day converged with outstanding folk arts, such as operas, folk arts, acrobatics, magic performances and face changing. Meanwhile various kinds of tea, Beijing traditional snacks, Beijing cuisine, and tea parties can be experienced.
Tea and Snacks.Neatly arranged 'Eight Immortals' tables, backrest chairs, palace lanterns hung from the ceiling, wooden tablets with Longjing Oolong tea on the counter, and paintings and calligraphy couplets hung on the wall, make you feel like you have entered an old Beijing folk museum. Advanced booking is needed.
- Average price per person: 103 RMB
- Opening times: 9:00am–9:20pm
- Address: Building 3, Zhengyang Market, Qianmen West Avenue, Xicheng District (Qianmen branch) 西城区前门西大街正阳市场3号楼 （前门店）
- Telephone: 010-63036830, 63021717
2. Sentosa Teahouse圣淘沙茶楼
Yellow Tea.Having a business area of 5,000 square meters, "Sentosa" is a global top 500 high-end tea restaurants. There is Nanyang Exotic Hall and more than 20 VIP rooms with luxurious and warm Chinese, French, British, American, German, Scandinavian, Mediterranean and Southeast Asian styles.
The Oldies Concert Hall on the third floor is filled with a classic Beijing nostalgic style and romantic atmosphere. Famous singers and old Chinese national artists will perform the golden oldies in this concert hall every night. Being intoxicated with the oldies while enjoying some nice tea makes you feel like you are going back in time to the old Shanghai restaurants of the 1930s and 1940s. The environment brings tenderness and sweetness to young couples and happy recollections to old friends.
Tea from home and abroad, and Western style dishes, such as coffee and "abalone", are mainly offered there, as well as Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine.
- Average price per person: 286 RMB
- Opening times: 10:00am–12:00am
- Address: 1 First Waiguan Xie Street, Andingmen Wai Avenue, Chaoyang District朝阳区安定门外大街外馆斜街甲1号
- Telephone: 010-85285000
- 5-Day Beijing Family Tour
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3. Liuxianguan Teahouse 留贤馆茶楼
Tea Ceremony.Located in one of the oldest streets in Beijing, Liuxianguan is a classic Confucian-style teahouse. The shop’s name liuxian means lingering virtue. It was listed as one of the ten most distinctive places in Asia by Times Magazine in 2007, and received US Vice President Biden and his granddaughter in 2013.
Inside the teahouse, over 40 varieties of tea and graceful tea art performances are served. Hundreds of clay teapots, porcelains, and jades collected by the hostess are placed artfully around the teahouse. People there can not only enjoy tea drinking and relaxation, but also soak up the traditional Chinese culture.
- Average price per person: 75 RMB
- Opening times: 9:00am–11:00pm
- Address: 28 Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District东城区国子监28号
- Telephone: 010-84048539
4. Menghuitianqiao - Deyunshe Sanlitun Theater梦回天桥-德云三里屯剧场
Beijing Sanlitun.Located in the West SOHO area, Deyunshe Sanlitun Theater, with its solemn and elegant style, classical interior decoration, lighting, advanced stage, and central air-conditioning, has a business area of nearly 6,000 square meters, and is divided into two floors.
The stage has a large LED flat screen showing Chinese and English.
The hall can accommodate more than 500 people with antique mahogany tables and chairs in the auditorium. Around the hall are teahouses, snack shops and mouth-watering Beijing snacks which are supplied daily. Visitors can enjoy drinking tea, chatting, and appreciating crosstalk (comedy dialogues). All of the shows have an English translation. It is advisable to book crosstalk tickets in advance.
- Average price per person: 56 RMB
- Address: 4 Gongti East Road, Chaoyang District (opposite Yashow Clothing Market) 北京市朝阳区工体东路4号 （雅秀服装市场对面）
- Telephone: 010-58407676
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6 Other Time-Honored Teahouses in Beijing
- 1. Wu Yutai Tea Shop (Wú Yùtài Cházhuāng吴裕泰茶庄): more than one hundred years with a high reputation
- 2. Zhang Yiyuan Tea Shop (Zhāng Yīyuán Cházhuāng张一元茶庄): renowned for high-quality jasmine tea
- 3. Yuan Changhou Tea Shop (Yuán Chánghòu Cházhuāng元长厚茶庄): fine-tasting jasmine tea
- 4. Qing Linchun Tea Shop (Qìng Línchūn Cházhuāng庆林春茶庄): great varieties of tea, and exquisite tea caddies
- 5. Sen Tai Tea Shop (Sēn Tài Cházhuāng森泰茶庄): the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) tribute tea supplier
- 6. Wu Zhaoxiang Tea Shop (Wú Zhàoxiáng Cházhuāng吴肇祥茶庄): in a rare traditional Chinese storied building
Visiting a Teahouse with China Highlights
Our Beijing tours are fully customizable. If you are interested in visiting a teahouse, then a tailored tour can be arranged with a knowledgeable guide and private transport.
See our guide to Chinese Tea. You may also like to read:
