Chinese Tea Culture in the Fascinating City of Chengdu

Evening view of people sitting at an outdoor teahouse in Chengdu

Chinese tea culture is believed to be more than 4000 years old, and it is still thriving today. Tea has withstood the test of time. Chinese people love to drink tea and it was estimated in 2015 that China consumed roughly 626300 metric tons of tea. That’s a lot of tea, and the tea drinkers of Chengdu might be responsible for much of that consumption. Chengdu is a city that is famous for its teahouses and Chinese tea culture along with its laid-back approach to life. This city is a modern-day example of Chinese tea culture flourishing in a metropolitan environment. 

History of Chinese Tea Culture

The most popular of Chinese teas are Green Tea, Black Tea, and Oolong Tea. All of these teas come from the Camellia Sinensis tree. This small tree produces the tea leaves which are then picked and processed in different methods to make the three main types of Chinese Tea.

The tea plant was first thought to be discovered by a mythological herbalist called Shennong over 4000 years ago in 2737 BC. However, recently found tea relics discovered by archaeologists are believed to be over 7000 years old. This means tea may be even older than we think. Although tea was Shennong’s most renowned achievement, Legend says that Shennong was famed for all sorts of Chinese medicine and is considered to be the most famous herbalist in Chinese history.

Local teahouses like this are part of Chinese tea culture in Chengdu

Tea ceremonies and cultural events were first properly recorded in the Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907 AD. Chinese tea culture became very popular during the Tang Dynasty and this time period might be the reason why we have many of the amazing Chinese teas we drink today.

Chinese tea culture in Chengdu

Tea is to the Chinese what coffee is to Italians. What I mean by this is tea culture in China is part of everyday life. Tea is bottled up in convenience store fridges, drank straight from tea cups or flasks, poured into millions of bubble teas daily, and prepared traditionally in teapots all over China. There are many ways for Chinese people to drink tea and with these new ways, Chinese tea culture has evolved over time as most aspects of society do.

Chengdu amplifies the already famous tea-drinking enthusiasm that many Chinese people have. Tea drinking in Chengdu is a social activity for the locals. It is part of daily life, and wherever you go in Chengdu you can see characteristics of Chinese tea culture. People sit with their families and friends drinking tea in parks, others play board games whilst sipping tea, and some just like to relax in a teahouse armchair for hours.

Traditional Chinese teahouse at Luodai Ancient Town in Chengdu

The thing I really loved about Chengdu was the availability of good quality Chinese tea. Many areas have traditional teahouses with teas ranging from the lowest prices to fairly high prices depending on the quality. Locals love to carry flasks of tea everywhere with them and if they aren’t then you’ll probably see them sitting down drinking at a teahouse or in a park. No matter where you are in the city you can almost certainly find a teahouse and a comfy armchair to drink it in.

Each Chinese province has its own specialty teas. Chengdu is no exception to this, and it has the benefit of being near Emeishan Mountain one of the most famous mountains in China. Emeishan is Chengdu’s best source of green tea, specifically Zhuyeqing Green Tea. This is the most commonly sold green tea amongst the locals and tourists in Chengdu. Many people who visit Chengdu like to drink Zhuyeqing Green tea, and it’s no surprise. The tea flavour is slightly sweet with a floral aroma. Although my personal favourite is Longjing Green Tea, Zhuyeqing Green tea is a close second.

Chengdu’s neighbouring city of Ya’an is famous for its Kungfu Black Tea. Ya’an Kungfu black tea is also very popular in Chengdu. The Kungfu black tea of Ya’an is Chengdu’s second most popular tea. The tea is strong with an earthy flavour and has a smooth aftertaste. Quite different from Chengdu’s number one, Zhuyeqing Green Tea. Of course, countless other types of teas are sold in Chengdu, but Emeishan’s Zhuyeqing Green Tea and Ya’ans Kungfu Black Tea are what Chengdu is best known for.

Teahouses in Chengdu

Teahouses in Chengdu are quite unique as they can range from very cheap to very expensive. You can get tea leaves in a cup with a giant flask of hot water for as little as 5 RMB which is around 70 cents in USD. This is great as it means most people can afford to drink tea in a Chengdu teahouse. The basic green tea leaves in a glass will do just fine if you’re looking for a nice green tea to relax with. The wide variety of teahouses is unlike any other Chinese city, which means Chengdu’s Chinese tea culture is unrivalled in terms of accessibility. You’ll find teahouses on small side streets, big streets, riverside areas, old towns, and just about any other random place you wouldn’t expect to find them.

A local traditional Chinese teahouse in Chengdu

Peoples park, also known as Renmin Park is famous for one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, the Heming Teahouse. The Heming Teahouse is an outdoor teahouse overlooking the lake of the iconic People’s Park. The Teahouse sounds peaceful and relaxing on paper but make no mistake, this is one of the city’s busiest teahouses in Chengdu. It has become famed amongst tourists and locals, so you will see no shortage of visitors here. It’s a bit messy and busy but that is part of the charm, if you are happy to share a table or drink amongst hundreds of other happy tea drinkers then this is the place to be.

People drinking tea at the famous Heming Teahouse in Renmin Park

The Wenshu Monastery is Chengdu’s most famous Buddhist temple. The monastery is also known for its traditional teahouse. This is a nice place to drink tea if you’re looking for a somewhere to relax during your sightseeing in Chengdu. It has many tables in a beautiful garden setting. The teas at the Wenshu Monastery range from low prices to high, again depending on the quality and type of tea you choose. The Wenshu Monastery teahouse is a bit less chaotic than the Peoples Park teahouse, as it doesn’t have quite as many visitors. Keep in mind though it is still one of the city’s most famous tourist attractions, so if you’re looking for a tranquil teahouse then you would be better off finding a smaller place off the beaten track.

Chinese tea culture, with people drinking tea at the Wenshu Monastery teahouse in Chengdu

Although Chengdu is one of China’s most modern and economically important cities, it doesn’t forget its traditional tea-drinking past. In fact, it embraces it with teashops, teahouses, and tea drinkers just about everywhere you look. Chengdu is the perfect place to experience Chinese tea culture and the city’s abundance of teahouses makes It hard to miss. So if you are looking for a tea adventure then don’t hesitate to give Chengdu’s awesome teahouses a try.

Teashops in Chengdu

Tenfu’s Tea is one of the most famous tea shops in China. With over 1000 stores across almost every city and province, it’s no surprise that Chengdu has many Tenfu’s Tea stores. Tenfu’s stores usually sell local teas. They also sell teas from other provinces too, but you can be sure you will find local tea in any Tenfu’s shop you enter in China. Like most good tea stores in Chengdu, you can find a wide range of prices depending on the quality of the tea. Usually the better the quality the higher the price is. Tenfu’s shops have become a huge part of Chinese Tea culture and are very well respected by tea drinkers.

Zhuyeqing green tea also has a store named after it.The ZhuYeQing teashop sells some of the highest quality green tea and is very popular amongst tourists and locals. Zhuyeqing tea stores specialize in high quality Zhuyeqing green tea, which Is grown on Emeishan mountain in the Sichuan province. This is one of the most famous local teas and ZhuYeQing tea stores along with Tenfu’s Tea shores are amongst the best big-brand shops to buy local tea in Chengdu.

People drinking tea at a riverside teahouse in Pengzhou old town near Chengdu

Chengdu has countless smaller tea shops that sell amazing tea. I frequented some of these teashops on my travels in Chengdu, and they were all very welcoming.  Any good tea shop in the city will usually let you try a variety of teas before making your purchase. They will also introduce you to Chinese tea culture as they perform a ceremony of brewing the tea before pouring you a small cup to taste.

Now if you want the most bang for your buck or renminbi then supermarkets are the right place. All medium to large supermarkets sell various local teas from the Sichuan province including the famous Zhuyeqing green tea and Ya’an black tea. The prices for good quality teas are particularly cheap in supermarkets but more expensive teas can also be found there. The only downside to buying tea in a supermarket is that you won’t get to taste it and experience the Chinese tea culture found in local tea shops. If you’re looking for a huge variety of tea at good prices then supermarkets are a great option.

Overall, Chengdu is one of the best cities in China to visit for tea lovers. The city has many teahouses, and a ton of shops to purchase tea. For anyone looking to experience tea culture and learn more about tea drinking, Chengdu and Hangzhou have to be the best cities for it.