City TourThe slant morning sunlight falls into the People’s Park, and small shadows of the bamboo chairs are imprinted on the bluestone slabs – this is Heming Tea House’s day-to-day life for a hundred years. Since it was founded in 1923, this tea house has developed into a code book for explaining Chengdu life aesthetics. It has long outgrown the old-fashioned tea-drinking house and become a place where young people rush to check in and tourists visit to experience together the unique “slow life” of Sichuan tourism.
I. A century of origin
The origins of the Heming Tea House are traced back to Gong’s unique vision. He selected a secluded site beneath the lakeside forest in Shaocheng Park (now People’s Park) and built a courtyard-style tea house that blends harmoniously into nature. The origin of its name has long been a contentious topic, and two of the most renowned theories are as follows. Legend has it that the founder gave the tea house the name “Heming” after dreaming that cranes sang and swallows danced when the sunset. Other individuals believe that it was named after Heming Mountain, where the founder originated.
Hundreds of years ago, Shaocheng Park was once a bustling tea cultural hub, having six teahouses with different numbers of patrons. As the times changed and the city grew, five out of the six teahouses were either moved or reconstructed. In sharp contrast, however, the Heming Tea House stood the test of time while keeping its old-time charm. Now, it serves as a living testament to Chengdu’s traditional tea house lifestyle of the distant past, chronicling silently the rise and fall of the metropolis’s decadent tea culture.
II. Cultural atmosphere
Entering Heming Tea House is like stepping into a world that contains the essence of Chengdu itself. Its structure shows a distinct Western Sichuan look, with boxy buildings and bamboo chairs arranged in line. The smell of tea wafts from the cups, and steam rises from the copper teapots, creating a warm and intimate ambiance. All these projects create an image of life in the city.
The long-mouthed teapot tea art performance is one of the highlights of Heming Tea House. Performed by exceptionally gifted tea-mixing craftsmen, each performance is a fascinating spectacle. In preparing the tea, they adopt a sequence of elegant and concise movements, such as “pours from aloft,” “spreads wings of rock,” and “strikes pipa in reverse.” These movements, apart from evidencing their technical skills, constitute a means to inherit and propagate China’s non-material cultural legacies to allow travelers to experience the poetic elegance of ancient culture while consuming tea.
Apart from the tea art performances, there are many other traditional cultural activities offered at Heming Tea House. Guests here can enjoy the unique Sichuan Opera art of face-changing, fire-spitting, storytelling, and shadow play. All these activities immerse the guests in the extremely rich Sichuan traditional culture and create an active and entertaining environment.
III. Business Characteristics
Heming Tea House provides more than a dozen possibilities from which one can choose, and refills are complimentary. Tea enthusiasts are able to test their preferred selections to try to steep themselves extensively in the exclusive character of Sichuan tea culture.
In addition to sipping tea, Heming Tea House also offers a special service: ear cleaning. Ear-cleaning artisans, and sporting headlamps, use equipment that produces metallic vibratos. The voice has been one of the signature soundscapes of the tea house, another attraction for tea sippers to pass the time.
With time, Heming Tea House is determined to innovate without losing its heritage. Its modern business model is more complex, and so are its cultural offerings. During winter, stove-brewed tea warms the customers, and in summer, stove-brewed iced tea is a cool haven. Besides, several mouth-watering foods, such as the delicious six-square tea snacks and creative panda-shaped dumplings, meet the different tastes of multiple customers.
IV. Cultural significance
Heming Tea House perfectly balances the lifestyle spirit of citizens and that of the literati’s aesthetic enjoyment, and contains the connotation of Chengdu tea culture as well. In addition, the teahouse represents the prosperity of the “slow life” of Chengdu citizens, full of the city’s cultural heritage and the memory of the group.
For individuals from all over, Heming Tea House is an invaluable window through which to understand Chengdu culture. Through it, they are able to feel the life here intimately, taste the relaxation and liberality of Chengdu, and appreciate the unique charm of this city. For residents in Chengdu, Heming Tea House is their spiritual home and an indispensable part of life.
Conclusion
With the hectic life nowadays, the “slow time” in Heming Tea House is even more precious. As a reliable Chengdu travel agency, we have customized different Chengdu tour packages with Heming Tea House. Whether you want to experience the long-mouthed pot tea art or indulge yourself in face-changing performances of the Sichuan Opera, we’d be happy to have the trip customized according to your requirements. No need to be worried about the arrangements, come and experience the most authentic Chengdu slow life and make a memorable Bashu memory! Get started now and begin your Chengdu cultural adventure!
