A taste of Chinese tea at Laoshe Teahouse in Beijing

Hey everybody, my name is Tim with Discovery China. I'm here in lovely Beijing on Qianmen Street. What are they doing over there? Let's go check it out together. This is jasmine tea. How much is it? 2 cents per cup. I can buy 3 bowls of milk for 1 cent American. Why is it so cheap? Our founder used to sell this tea for 2 cents per cup, but it's been around for years. This tea is really cheap, it is really delicious. Perfect for a cool or even a cold day to warm you up. It's definitely part of Beijing's tradition. Let's go inside and learn more about it. Kidding. Different kinds of teapots. He wrote a play called Tea House. That's how the name came about. I got it. Thank you. You're welcome. More tea? Me either. Let's go see what it is. Come on. This is jasmine tea. Ok, thank you. Even the grass is real. So authentic. Hello. Today I'm going to show you how to make Beijing's traditional jasmine tea. You use this kind of lid to make the tea. The lid represents the sky. The cup represents the earth. The cup represents the person. It represents the harmony between the sky and the earth. The first step is to heat the cup. Then rotate the lid. This is jasmine tea. It smells really good. You can smell it. Add 3g of tea leaves. When the water boils, add 1 fifth of the cup's water. This will enhance the fragrance of the tea. Rotate the lid. Add water. The tea is ready. You can try how to make jasmine tea. Rotate the lid. It's really good. You can smell it. Add tea leaves. I learned it. Is it good? 3g of tea leaves. Yes, 3g of tea leaves. Add warm tea leaves. You are really good. You learned it in one go. Thank you. Jasmine tea is really good. The staff here tell me that since its opening in 1988, over 170 important foreign heads of state and celebrities have visited this tea house, in addition to 6 million guests. That lets you know that this is a must-see in Beijing, especially if you are interested in Beijing or Chinese tea culture. I knew that tea originated in China and that Chinese people love drinking tea. Thanks to today's experience, I learned that drinking tea is still a big part of life for Chinese people. Different drinking methods have their own significance for the drinker. In stall tea, Beijingers can taste the memories of the city. The philosophy of harmony between human beings and nature is reflected in Gaihua tea. Chinese culture, like Chinese tea, needs to be savored slowly. How do I look? I think I look pretty good. So today has been an amazing day, trying different teas, learning about the Chinese culture, enjoying beautiful Beijing, an amazing experience. I definitely recommend it. But I have to get back to greeting the customers. See you next time.