Top 5 Most Authentic Teahouses in Chengdu
Chinese people serve the best tea in the world and China’s tea culture is best represented in Sichuan; especially Chengdu, where the world’s first teahouse opened as early as the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC).
With thousands of teahouses throughout the city, choosing the best one is a tricky task. To help you choose, here is a list of five of the most famous teahouses in Chengdu, highly recommended by both locals and foreign tourists.
1. Heming Teahouse: Local Daily Life
- Chinese: 鹤鸣茶社
- Address: 12 Shaocheng Street People’s Park, Qingyang District, Chengdu
- Price: CNY 30 per person
- Opening hours: daily 11 am–10 pm
- How to get there: bus nos. 13, 43, 47, 53, 58, 5 or 62 to People’s Park
Founded in 1923, Heming Teahouse is a popular fixture of the People’s Park in Chengdu. Packed with tea enthusiasts at any time of day, any day of the year, the place is great for gossip and afternoon tea.
A wide range of tea is offered at a cost of between 10 and 30 RMB. Tea is served with a huge refillable thermos containing hot water. You can have it refilled as many times as you wish.
With its peaceful surroundings, the teahouse is an ideal place for observing how locals live in Chengdu. Everyone here enjoys their life in a leisurely and relaxing way.
Sitting in a bamboo chair and sipping a hot cup of tea, you will see some other tea-drinkers playing chess, some walking around the marriage market, and some paying extra for an ear-cleaning service.
2. Shunxing Old Teahouse: Cuisine and Culture
- Chinese: 顺兴老茶馆
- Address: 258 Shawan Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu
- Price: CNY 110 per person
- Opening hours: daily 11 am–9 pm
- How to get there: bus nos. 113, 101, 32, 3, 56A, 83 or 93 to International Conference and Exhibition Center
Shunxing Old Teahouse in the Shawan International Conference and Exhibition Center (3rd floor) is one of the most famous and elegant teahouses in Chengdu.
On the one hand, it is a museum that features sculptures, murals, and artifacts that tell the stories of old Chengdu. Distinguished by Sichuan folk customs, this teahouse performs Sichuan-style shows every night.
Here you can not only feast on classic Sichuan hotpot and a wide range of Chengdu snacks, sipping some of the best tea in the province, but you can also soak up various cultural performances, like the magical face-changing of Sichuan opera, marvelous fire-spitting show, and interesting tea-pouring tricks.
3. Yuelai Teahouse: Sichuan Opera and Chinese Tea
- Chinese: 悦来茶馆
- Address: 2nd floor, 54 Huaxing Road, Jinjiang District, Chengdu
- Price: CNY 30 per person
- Opening hours: daily 11 am–11 pm
- How to get there: bus no. 28 or metro line 3 to Chengdu Second People’s Hospital
Although smack in the middle of the noisy business circle, Yuelai Teahouse cuts itself off from the hustle and bustle of the modern world outside and offers tea-drinkers a quiet, peaceful, and relaxing old Chengdu.
During the 20th century, Yuelai was hailed as the busiest teahouse in the area and became a major meeting place for theatre-goers. The two-story teahouse, connected to the theatre via a stone bridge, can be reached by going through a very narrow corridor.
If you want to experience local Sichuan opera while sipping some of the best tea in China, Yuelai Teahouse is the place to go.
If you feel it’s difficult to find just the teahouse where you wanna go, don’t forget to contact us!
4. Teahouses close to Wenshu Monastery
- Chinese: 文殊院
- Address: 66 Wenshuyuan Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu
- Price: CNY 10 per person
- Opening hours: daily 9 am–5 pm
- How to get there: bus nos. 16, 55, 98, 298 or metro line 1 to Wenshu Monastery
Wenshu Monastery is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu. There are dozens of outdoor teahouses lined along the road leading to the temple. Surrounded by luxuriant bamboo forest, these teahouses provide a tranquil, unadorned atmosphere.
Wenshu Monastery also boasts cultural relics, solemn halls, and exquisite gardens. Combine these with a nice warm tea, and you’ll be guaranteed a relaxing, soothing experience along with hundreds of locals.
Another recommended religious place with teahouses is Qingyang Temple, which is among the oldest and best-known Taoist temples in China.
We would be pleased to customize a private Wenshu Monastery tour for you.
5. Outdoor Tea Houses at Wide and Narrow Alleys
- Chinese: 宽窄巷子
- Address: East of Tongren Road, west of Changshun Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu
- Price: higher than average
- Opening hours: all day
- How to get there: Metro line 2 to People’s Park; bus nos. 62, 70, 93, 126, 127, 163, 340 or metro line 4 to Kuanzhai Xiangzi
Wide and Narrow Alleys, Kuanzhai Xiangzi in Chinese, is a Qing-dynasty (1636–1912) ancient street area consisting of three parallel alleys, Wide Alley, Narrow Alley, and Well Alley.
It is one of the top attractions in Chengdu, and there are many teahouses scattered around the alleys. Sipping a cup of tea and enjoying your layover in a courtyard teahouse will help you feel the charm of Chengdu’s leisurely city life. Jinli Street is a similar attraction.
Every year from March to April, since 2009, the place launches a series of activities with the theme “Kuanzhai Tea Party”, which perfectly blends traditional tea culture with modern lifestyle.
Experience Chengdu Teahouses with China Travel
Teahouses are reflective of daily life in Chengdu. They are not only places for tea-drinking but also focal points for locals, who gather there to exchange gossip and slow down.
To make the most of your travel experience in Chengdu, China Travel has designed several tours incorporating Chengdu’s teahouses, pandas, and other attractions. All of these can be adapted to suit your own preferences.