Lao She Teahouse: sip tea at Beijing’s best teahouse
Lao She Teahouse, sitting at the center of Beijing not far from the Avic Hotel is where tourists get a taste of old Beijing life while sitting down for a good cup of tea.
Among its eminent customers are former U.S. president George H. Bush and Jordanian queen Rania.
It, indeed, has much to offer.
The building itself reminds you of a Qing dynasty loft, and as soon as you see it, you feel as if Beijing of the 19th century has come into life! The waiters wear ancient outfits, and greet you in a very special way that seasoned Beijingers say reminds them of the city’s old days.
Despite being called a teahouse, Lao She is more like an entertainment venue, where some of China’s finest traditional performing arts are staged every night. On its third floor, you can enjoy acrobatics, Kung Fu shows, Peking opera, ventriloquism, cross-talk, and the famous face-changing dance while taking a sip of your favorite tea.
One of the most welcomed performances is the face-changing dance that originated in Sichuan province. By simply waving his arms and twisting head, a perform can change his mask in less than a second. The top performers can change their masks up to 30 times with the flick of a wrist. Because of difficulty of changing masks in such a short time, only a handful of artists can perform this dance today. There are also occasionally such performances around the Beijing Hwa Apartment Hotel.
Also amazes many is a performance called ‘Han Deng Da Gu’.Singers of this ancient form of art don’t sing the way you would usually expect. They light up a few of candles, put the candles on a holder, put the holder in their mouths, and sing.
They need to somehow keep the balance of the holder using the muscles in their face, otherwise the candles will fall. Han Deng Da Gu signers of the Lao She Teahouse are all masters. Their sound appears so flawless that without watching the show you won’t know there is actually something bothersome in their mouth. All around China, only a few of singers are able to perform this ancient art because it is simply too difficult to master.
For tea lovers, there is even more to celebrate at Lao She Teahouse. As you sit down around tea table, a waiter will pour your tea, which looks more like an acrobatic show. The pot they use to pour tea is pretty bizarre: it has a long spout that can measure up to 1.5 meters. When serving, the waiter tosses the pot around, pours your tea into a small cup, and stops the flow abruptly without splashing a drop. This is not a task that anyone can accomplish, and is much appreciated by the audience.
When hungry, you can even order an amazing variety of Beijing snacks as the shows are going on. Rolling Donkey, known as Lv Da Gun in Chinese, is actually a dish of glutinous rice balls stuffed with bean paste. Millet Much, or Mian Cha in Chinese, is porridge with sesame and peanut butter. For those with sweet tooth, the small bean cakes known as Wan Dou Huang is always a good try.
Prices are affordable even by Beijing standards; an average of RMB 400 (a little over 50 dollars) should be enough for the shows, tea and a couple of snacks. The teahouse remains open from 14:00 to 22:00.
The Lao She Teahouse’s location in central Beijing is very convenient, and you can book a Beijing hotel here.
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