Come Here for Tea and Operas

As an aesthetic space for experiencing intangible cultural heritage, Tea House Theater at the Eastern Suburb Memory faithfully recreates the scenes of traditional everyday life in Chengdu based on the idea that “Chengdu is a huge teahouse, and a teahouse is a miniature Chengdu”.

Tea House Theater

The teahouse features distinctive spatial design, which presents a fusion of “40% industrial chic, 30% western Sichuan charm, and 30% Shanghai-style grace”. Concrete beams and columns are interspersed with old wooden tie beams, while red-brick arches are paired with bamboo-woven partitions. New Year paintings, shadow play, bamboo art display, and layered lighting further enhance the space, creating a seamless integration of hardcore industrial character and the refined charm of local life.

Beyond the authentic teahouse experience—freshly boiled water from traditional “tiger stoves”, fragrance of gaiwan tea (tea served in lidded bowls), and tea ceremony performances with long-spout kettles—the teahouse offers delicacies from open kitchens and professional stage performances. Every evening, two 70-minute shows capture the audience with Sichuan Opera excerpts, face-changing and fire-spitting acts, acrobatics, and magic performances.

Address: No. 99, Jianshe South Road, Chenghua District

Transportation: Visitors may take Metro Line 8 to Dongjiao Memory Station (Exit B1) and walk approximately a kilometer to the destination.

In Chengdu, visitors looking to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea while watching live operas can visit “Daqi Teahouse” and “Familiar Faces, Familiar Tales Teahouse”.

Daqi Teahouse

Converted from Chengdu Lacquerware Craft Factory, the teahouse allows visitors to enjoy tea, chat, and savor authentic Chengdu snacks. On the second floor, a lacquerware culture exhibition zone showcases exquisite lacquerware artworks and ornaments.

Two free performances—tea ceremony performances, crosstalk comedies and folk vocal art, or instrumental music—are held every afternoon. Enjoying a cup of tea while watching performances captures the most relaxing essence of everyday life in Chengdu.

Address: Chengdu Lacquerware Craft Factory, Wangjiaguai Sub-District, Qingyang District

Transportation: Visitors may take Metro Line 2 to Tonghuimen Station (Exit A) and walk 600 meters to the destination.

Familiar Faces, Familiar Tales Teahouse

Its roof covered with gray tiles, wooden windows decorated with carved patterns, bamboo chairs arranged along verandas, the teahouse holds a collection of Shu embroidery, lacquerware, and vintage objects. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall on the third floor quietly tells the story of Sichuan’s craftsmanship.

Every Saturday, the “Tianfu Rhythm” folk vocal art performance is staged, bringing together four major folk vocal art forms—“Jinqianban” (Sichuan oral performing art), Sichuan “Zhuqin” (traditional music instrument), Sichuan “Qingyin” (local folk music), and Sichuan “Yangqin” (hammered dulcimer).

Address: No. 3, Huangyuan East Street, Chadianzi Sub-District, Jinniu District

Transportation: Visitors may take Metro Line 7 Inner Loop to Yipintianxia Station (Exit B) or Line 2 to Shuhan Road East Station (Exit A), and then walk approximately a kilometer to the destination.

Source: HomeinChengdu