Chinese Tea Culture in Chengdu

Chengdu is the perfect place to get to know Chinese tea culture. In the US, it seems that Japanese tea is better. Ever since I went to the Chinese Tea House in Chinatown, I firmly believe that there is a lot more to Chinese tea culture. There are thousands of tea houses in Chengdu, prices ranging from very low to extremely high. At The Heavenly Fortune，天福茗茶，I got to taste several oolong and green tea for free because my mom often shops there. Tie Kuan Yin, or Iron Kuan Yin, is fairly well-known in the US, but few people know that this kind of oolong tea can go as high as 2000 RMB/Jin or more. 2000 RMB = 250 dollars, and Jin is a Chinese unit. Long Jin, or Dragon Well, on the other hand can exceed 8000 RMB/Jin = 1000 dollars/Jin. It's very difficult to imagine the quality of these selections to the ones offered in Cantonese restaurants in SF. People in Chengdu spend a lot of time in tea houses which is also known as the No.1 relaxing place, the No.2 office. All kinds of groups gather in those places: friends, business people, families - both young and old. It's interesting how I used to hate tea with a passion, but now, I love the way Americans drink their tea - drinking tea leaves from all over the world, the way the Japanese drink tea - drinking all kinds of smooth, bitter and soothing green tea and developing green tea culture to the top level, and especially the way people in Chengdu drink their tea - drinking Chinese tea and especially the best Chinese tea. Chinese tea probably has the most poetic names: Dragon Well, Iron Buddha, Green Bamboo Leaves, Silver Needle, Brown Dragon (oolong), etc.