In recent years, teahouses in Chengdu have continued to gain popularity and break into the mainstream. With its Gaiwan Tea (lidded cup tea), the city is quietly setting off a new wave in urban consumption.

Heming Teahouse

At various teahouses in Qingyang District, Chengdu, seats are always full — whether on weekdays or weekends — and the air buzzes with lively conversation. The tea drinkers include both Chengdu locals and out-of-town visitors.

“For me, going to a teahouse is a lifestyle. It’s a place of freedom and relaxation. When I’m hungry, I just grab something to eat at the teahouse — it’s very convenient,” says Mrs. Yu, who often visits Daqi Teahouse with friends. “The teahouse is more like a free living room. I meet up with friends here — it’s spacious. We bring some snacks, order a 10-yuan cup of tea, and half a day just slips by. When we’re tired of chatting, we play on our phones or just zone out — you can do whatever you want.”

Teahouse packed with customers

In recent years, the earthy, laid-back atmosphere of teahouses has gone viral online. More and more tourists now choose to visit a teahouse when they come to Chengdu, eager to experience what it’s like to live like a local.

In Chengdu, a teahouse is more than just a public space for tea and conversation — it also serves as a hub for experiencing intangible cultural heritage, cultural performances, and food. Once seated, customers tend to stay for half a day. That long, immersive stay naturally translates into sustained spending.

Today’s teahouses have long outgrown the description by writer Li Jieren as “merely a place for tea in name only.” Its revenue streams are multiplying as the teahouse economy becomes deeply embedded in the entire consumption chain of eating, staying, traveling, shopping, and entertainment, continuously turning the flow of cultural tourism into additional consumer spending.