It is often said that every business decision in China begins with a cup of tea. As early as the 2<sup>nd</sup> century BCE, tea drinking was a refined ritual, practiced by Chinese emperors and nobles.<sup>1</sup> By the 9<sup>th</sup> century, following the writer Lu Yu’s seminal monograph <em>The Classic of Tea</em> (760), which describes the origins, processing, and rituals of tea, the custom spread to the masses, with early Tea Booths <em>(Chatan)</em> and Small Teahouses <em>(Chaliao)</em> emerging across China. During the Song dynasty (960–1279), the teahouse — now a larger, formalised institution — became an integral feature of Chinese communities, a place where residents met to socialise, play cards and enjoy the entertainment on display.<sup>2</sup><br><br>In the 20<sup>th</sup> century, the old distinctions between ‘literati tea’ and ‘commoner tea’ gradually eroded as society grew more equal.<sup>3</sup> Teahouses now provided a forum for stimulating conversations, ranging from national issues to more local concerns, such as tax policies.<sup>4</sup><br><br>It was this potential for teahouses to act as hubs for political debate that later led to their enforced closure during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–76).<sup>5</sup> Chairman Mao’s Red Guards denounced the tea-sipping culture as both ‘vain’ and ‘heretical’,<sup>6</sup> and its symbols were either quickly removed or destroyed in their path. The Teahouse would only emerge as a safe environment for open discourse following Mao’s death in 1976.<br><br>Despite their turbulent history, teahouses today are an allure for China’s domestic and foreign visitors, with extensive menus and cabaret performances.<sup>7</sup> Many modern, stripped-back readaptations have emerged to cater for the younger generation of tea drinkers.<sup>8</sup> Although China’s transformation to a ‘socialist market economy’ has witnessed the influx of Western coffee shops, the teahouse remains an integral symbol of urban Chinese identity. <br>