Bartender gives teahouse a cool summertime twist

Tea can be enjoyed indoors or out.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Yuan Teahouse

Graceful interiors and courtyard evoke the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) era, even using Yixing Clay teapots popularized during the Ming period. Premium teas on offer include green tea from Hangzhou and Suzhou, black tea and white tea from Fujian, pu'er tea from Yunnan and oolong tea from the Wuyi and Anxi mountain regions, sourced directly from Chinese tea farmers and plantations with cultural heritage backgrounds. The spirit is inspired by Zhu Quan, one of Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's sons. After withdrawing from imperial court life, he published the influential book The Tea Manual, which advocated a simpler way of steeping loose tea, a radical departure from the tea cakes (brick tea) of the past Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. That ushered in a new era in Chinese tea culture.