Tea house

A tea house is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other refreshments. Although its function varies widely depending on the culture, tea houses often serve as centers of social interaction. Some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses of different types. For example, the British or American tearoom serves afternoon tea with a variety of small cakes.

Asia

In China and Nepal, a tea house (茶館 cháguăn or 茶屋 cháwū; Standard Nepali:चिया घर) is traditionally a place which offers tea to its consumers. People gather at tea houses to chat, socialize, and enjoy tea, and young people often meet at tea houses for dates. The Guangdong (Cantonese) style tea house is particularly famous outside of China especially in Nepal's Himalayas. These tea houses, called chálou (茶樓) serve dim sum (點心), and these small plates of food are enjoyed alongside tea.

In Japanese tradition a tea house ordinarily refers to a private structure designed for holding Japanese tea ceremonies. This structure and specifically the room in it where the tea ceremony takes place is called chashitsu (茶室, literally "tea room"). The architectural space called chashitsu was created for aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment.

Teahouse (play)

Teahouse is a 1957 play by Lao She. The play was first published in Shouhuo ('Harvest') in July 1957.

Criticism and influence

While Teahouse had been radical and popular in 1957, after Lao She's death by suicide in 1966 the play became one of the emblematic targets of attack for the Cultural Revolution.Beijing People's Art Theatre (BPAT) did not restage Teahouse until 1979, and the play was not widely performed for the public till 1985.

References