Chengdu, Life with Tea

　　Titled as "the Capital of Leisure," Chengdu shows the most remarkable cultural features of teahouses whose customers have the best expertise in enjoying life. More than 3,000 sorts of tea can be traced back in the history of Sichuan. Many people identify Sichuan as the source of tea. According to the "History of Huayang," a famous record of local history, once there was a brother of the king of ancient Sichuan, living in Jianmeng, the present Guangyun City. Jianmeng, the ancient Sichuan dialect of two Chinese characters (Jianmeng), are equal to tea in modem Chinese.

　　The "Complete History of Chengdu" records that there were 454 teahouses in Chengdu at the end of the Qing Dynasty, and 598 just before the liberation (what is the liberation?). The number indicates that nearly every street had a teahouse then. The statistics of contemporary newspapers also demonstrate that one fifth of the population in the city went to teahouses daily at that time. No wonder that the city had a reputation for being teemed with idle people, teahouses and toilets. In recent years, the people idling in teahouses have increased a lot, and so have teahouses.

　　Teahouses are scattered but also comply with routines. They mainly use the same tea set, with a teacup, a lid and a saucer, usually called "Lid Cup Tea," and small wooden tables and bamboo armchairs.

　　The bamboo armchairs are always made of the local mottled bamboo and another type of bamboo named "Yingtou Huang." The soft bamboo strips make the chairs fairly comfortable to sit on, and their armrest and backs look beautiful and natural. Most teahouses are not large, so tea servants always walk around with a bronze teapot, keeping alert to coming customers. Carrying seven or eight tea sets in his right hand, and a teapot in his right hand, a servant will hurry to the customers, rapidly place the clinking cups and saucers, put the lids beside the saucers, and then twist his wrist, turning the spout of the teapot from back to front and lifting the pot a little, which spurts the water into the cups without splashing even one drop.

　　During the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589 A.D.), Wang Su, an official of the Southern Qi who surrendered to the Northern Wei, reveled in drinking tea. It was said that he quaffed a liter of tea each time. People afterwards considered this manner of drinking tea as drinking like a buffalo. Chengdu people never quaff tea, they just sip, little by little. In houses, they always rest with eyes closed, or chat about any topic, easily idling the time away.