Attraction
A Traditional Chengdu Teahouse: Heming Chashe in 2026
Chengdu measures time in refills, not minutes. Inside People's Park, Heming Chashe keeps a century-old tea ritual alive: gaiwan cups, bamboo reclining chairs, and a long-spout kettle arcing over a hundred tables by the lake. This guide covers what to order, what it costs, when the crowds thin, and how to arrive by Metro Line 2.
A traditional Chengdu teahouse is Heming Chashe, the city's 1923 lakeside tea house inside People's Park, where a gaiwan of jasmine tea and unlimited refills keep a bamboo chair yours for hours. Go on a weekday between 8 and 10 a.m., while the light is soft and the lakeside tables are still free.
The story locals tell is that a merchant from Dayi, walking in what was then Shaocheng Park, dreamed of white cranes circling a pond and named the tea house he built after their call: he ming. China Daily's 2023 profile calls it one of the oldest tea houses in Chengdu, and the city marked its 100th birthday with a centennial gala on 18 March 2023, hosted by People's Park itself. What survives is a two-story western Sichuan hall, with corridors running down both sides and more than a hundred bamboo tables spilling toward the water. It is less a museum than a room the city still uses every day.
Walk in and the furniture explains the culture: gaiwan (lidded cups), low bamboo tables, high-backed bamboo reclining chairs, a tiger stove for boiling water, and tea masters who carry long-spout copper kettles. A pour from those kettles is the closest thing to a floor show, the water arcing across the table into your cup without a splash while regulars applaud. When your cup runs low, lift the lid and set it ajar; a server returns with the pot. To thank whoever pours, tap two fingers on the table. Refills of the same leaf are part of the price, which is why one order can comfortably last three hours.
Tea here is not expensive. Gaiwan teas generally run CNY 15-40 depending on the leaf: jasmine, bamboo-leaf green (zhuyeqing), biluochun, or a toasty Mengding. Summer night sessions, first trialed in July 2021, begin around CNY 18. Order snacks separately from the small shop, sunflower seeds, peanuts or dried citrus peel, usually CNY 5-15. Ear cleaning, the local ritual of having your ears swept with spoons, brushes and a tuning fork, is offered by roaming masters; agree the price and the timing before you settle into the chair. Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay, and do not worry about tipping, which is not expected.
The park itself is free and open daily, roughly 6:00-22:00, so there is no ticket and no reservation to chase. The tea house's standard day runs about 8:00-20:00, and in summer its night tea extends to 22:00 with lights out at 22:30. Arrive between 8:00 and 10:00 on a weekday: the light is soft, the pigeons are busy, and the chairs by the water are still free. Weekends, Spring Festival and the 1-7 October Golden Week fill every table by mid-morning, and the lake edge becomes a row of tripods rather than a place to nap. The afternoon is the social peak, when mahjong tiles start clacking and the ear cleaners make their rounds.
Heming Chashe sits inside People's Park on Shaocheng Road in Qingyang District, in the historic center. Take Metro Line 2 to People's Park Station and walk a few minutes to the park gate; trains come every few minutes through the day and a ride costs CNY 2-9. A Didi from Chunxi Road is usually under CNY 25 and takes 10-15 minutes. Because entry is free there is nothing to book, and the location makes an easy half-day: Kuanzhai Alley is about a 15-minute walk north, while Tianfu Square is one metro stop away.
If you want a second, quieter teahouse, the Guanyin Pavilion old tea house in Pengzhen, Shuangliu District, is the city's other great survivor: a timber hall roughly a century old with faded painted slogans on its walls and tea served at long communal tables. It sits about an hour southwest by car or Didi, so treat it as a half-day with a photographer's eye rather than a quick stop. Closer in, the tea hall at Daci Temple, beside Taikoo Li, keeps the same gaiwan-and-bamboo-chair format under a quieter roof.
Go early, order one tea, and let the refills set the pace; that is the whole point of a Chengdu tea house. Build a morning around Heming Chashe, walk to Kuanzhai Alley for lunch, and save another day for the pandas. If you would rather not work out the timing yourself, tell ChinaMira your dates and we will slot the teahouse into a Chengdu itinerary built around a 7:30 a.m. panda entry, a table by the lake, and a Sichuan opera night. Our Chengdu guide and Chengdu food guide show how the pieces fit together.
Good to know
- Address and setting
- Heming Chashe, inside Chengdu People's Park on Shaocheng Road, Qingyang District (also listed at Citang Street 9, entrance 11). The park was laid out in 1911 and covers 112,639 sq m; entry is free and needs no reservation. The tea house opened in 1923 and marked its centenary on 18 March 2023.
- Tea and service prices 2026
- Gaiwan tea CNY 15-40 depending on leaf grade (jasmine, zhuyeqing, biluochun, Mengding); summer night tea from CNY 18; snacks CNY 5-15; ear cleaning about CNY 30 for 20 minutes. Refills of the same leaf are included, tipping is not expected, and Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted.
- Opening hours
- Park open daily, roughly 6:00-22:00, free. Heming Chashe standard service about 8:00-20:00; summer night tea to 22:00 with lights out at 22:30, a session first trialed in July 2021. Busiest on weekends, Spring Festival and the 1-7 October Golden Week; quietest on weekday mornings from 8:00 to 10:00.
- Getting there
- Metro Line 2 to People's Park Station, then a short walk to the park gate; metro fares are CNY 2-9 and trains run every few minutes. A Didi from Chunxi Road is usually under CNY 25 (10-15 minutes). Kuanzhai Alley is about a 15-minute walk and Tianfu Square one stop away. No ticket and no booking.
- Ordering etiquette
- Lift the gaiwan lid and set it ajar to ask for more hot water, tap two fingers on the table to thank the pourer, and remember refills of the same tea are included. The long-spout copper-kettle pour happens at intervals through the day, and roaming ear cleaners should always name a price before they begin.
- Other traditional tea houses
- Pengzhen's Guanyin Pavilion old tea house in Shuangliu District is roughly a century old and about an hour southwest by car or Didi. Daci Temple's tea hall sits beside Taikoo Li in the center. Both keep the gaiwan-and-bamboo-chair format and charge no entry ticket.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most traditional teahouse in Chengdu?
Heming Chashe inside People's Park is the classic answer and the city's largest old tea house, with a history stretching back more than a century. It still keeps gaiwan tea, bamboo reclining chairs, a long-spout copper kettle and roaming ear cleaners, and remains the room locals use every day.
How much does tea at Heming Chashe cost, and are refills free?
Refills of the same leaf are included in the price, so a single gaiwan can last an entire afternoon by the lake. Snacks are bought separately from the little shop and nothing else is compulsory, which makes a Heming morning one of the cheapest experiences in Chengdu.
What are Heming Chashe's opening hours, and is there night tea?
Yes, in summer Heming Chashe keeps a night session that runs well past the dinner hour, with tea, snacks and sometimes opera by the lake. Daytime service is the classic experience, but hours shift with the season, so confirm the current schedule before a late visit.
How do I get to Heming Chashe by metro, and do I need a ticket?
Take Metro Line 2 to People's Park Station and walk to the park gate, or let a Didi drop you on Shaocheng Road. Entry to both the park and the tea house is free and needs no booking; the only cost is your tea, and the location puts Kuanzhai Alley within a short walk.
Is Chengdu teahouse ear cleaning worth it, and what does it cost?
Ear cleaning, or cai er, takes about 20 minutes and costs around CNY 30 at Heming Chashe. Masters use spoons, brushes and a tuning fork; it is safe and oddly relaxing when the tools are sterilized, so agree the price and duration first and decline if you are unsure.