Lao She Teahouse: old Beijing life made live
Lao She Teahouse, sitting at the center of Beijing not far from the Hwa Apartment Hotel, is where tourists get a taste of old Beijing life while sitting down for a good cup of tea.
Former U.S. Former U.S president George H. Bush and Jordanian queen Rania both paid their visit to the teahouse and found themselves amazed by what it has to offer.
It, indeed, has much to offer.
The building itself is a Qing dynasty-style loft structure, so the establishment really brings you back in time at your first sight! The waiters are all dressed in ancient outfits, and greet you in an interesting tone that immediately invoke the feel of old Beijing teahouses.
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 best performers can change their painted masks up to 30 times at one go. Due to difficulty of changing masks faster than the eyes blink, only a small number of artists can perform this old dance today. There are also occasionally such performances around the Haige International Hotel.
Another program that also amazes many is the ‘Han Deng Da Gu.Singers of this ancient form of art don’t sing the way you would usually expect. They sing with such a holder in their mouths as is mounted with a few of burning candles.
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 singers here at Lao She Teahouse are all masters of this ancient art of show. Their sound appears so flawless that without watching the show you won’t know there is actually something bothersome in their mouth. Around China, there are only a very limited number of singers who are able to perform this ancient art because of the difficulty.
But that’s not all they offer at the 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 is quite usual for it has a long and thin spout with the length of up to 1.5 meters. When serving, the waiter will first flip the pot around his body for a while, and then pour tea from the long and thin spot without splashing a drop. This is not a task just anyone can perform, and is always met by much applause.
You can also enjoy a variety of Beijing snacks as you enjoy the shows. Rolling Donkey, or Lv Da Gun in Chinese, is a serving of glutinous rice balls stuffed with bean paste and eaten as a light meal. Millet Mush, or Mian Cha as Beijingers call it, is a sort of porridge mixed with sesame and peanut butter. For your sweet tooth, Wan Dou Huang-small cakes made of beans-is always a good try.
Prices are reasonable; an average of 50-60 dollars should be enough to cover the fare of the shows, tea and a couple of snacks. Business hours: 14:00 – 22:00.
The Lao She Teahouse’s location in central Beijing is very convenient, and you can book a Beijing hotel here.
