There are many performances such as Pingtan and Guzheng in Suzhou and Hangzhou teahouses, and some teahouses in Chengdu also have special performances---- Sichuan opera, Yuelai Tea Garden is one of the representatives, and it is also one of the few indoor old teahouses in Chengdu. Yuelai Teahouse, formerly known as Lao Lang Temple, is where the Sichuan Drama Industry Association is located, and in 1909 the industrialist Fan Kongzhou established the Yuelai Teahouse, which has always retained Sichuan opera performances. In addition to the original opera fans and tea drinkers, there are also many tourists who come here to drink tea and watch the drama and feel the local life of Chengdu.
Yuelai Tea Garden is located in Chengdu Zongfu Road Wangfujing shopping mall, its construction area of about 2,300 square meters, a total of two floors, the first floor is the hall, only the fan, the light is a little dim, the second floor is set up with private rooms, equipped with air conditioning. The historic Panda Tea House has been renovated several times and still retains its quaint architectural style. Two sets of Sichuan opera costumes are displayed at the main entrance, and a blackboard with performance information is placed. The couplets, plaques and Sichuan opera songs in the tea garden are mostly named by famous artists, and you can also appreciate the handwriting of famous artists when you observe them carefully.
There is an antique stage in the middle of the hall, and the actors of the Chengdu Sichuan Opera Research Institute regularly perform here every Saturday, the actors are professional, and the Sichuan Opera is wonderful, and often wins full applause. Many tourist-oriented theaters charge high fees and the quality of the performances is unsatisfactory, compared to the 30, 40 and 50 yuan ticket prices at Yuelai Tea Garden, which is quite cost-effective.
Yuelai Tea Garden follows the old three teahouses, namely gaiwan tea, copper kettle and bamboo chair, and the old copper kettle also has a sense of history. After ordering tea at the front desk, the clerk will put the tea leaves into the teacup, and the customer will find a seat after taking the teacup, and the clerk will pour boiling water. Some old tea drinkers use their own cups for tea instead of using gaiwan. Most of the clerks who poured the water were elderly, and their movements were a little slow, but they added tea in time.
The hall on the first floor provides Piaoxue, Zhuyeqing, Huamaofeng, Sumaofeng, Chrysanthemum Tea and Flower Bud Flower Tea, mostly Sichuan tea, with affordable prices between 12 yuan and 25 yuan. There are many varieties in the private room on the second floor, including Mengding nectar, Phoenix single vertical, Yunnan Hong, Guanyin Wang, Taiping Houkui, Pu'er, etc., and a special tea is launched every day, with a single cup price between 28 yuan and 88 yuan, and there are also refreshments such as melon seeds. The tea on the second floor is relatively high-end, but the taste is not outstanding and decent.
In the fifties of the last century, Yuelai Tea Garden could not meet people's demand for watching dramas, so it built the Jinjiang Theater with western Sichuan architectural style on the original site of the tea garden, which has been in business ever since. Holders of Jinjiang Theatre's face-changing performance package can drink gaiwan tea at Yuelai Tea Garden for free. Since there are only performances on Saturdays at Yuelai Tea Garden, many visitors will choose Jinjiang Theater to drink tea at Yuelai Tea Garden and wait for the opening. From time to time, there are ear pickers in the hall shouting to attract customers, but they do not disturb the tea customers too much. Compared with open-air tea houses such as Heming Tea House, the hygienic conditions of Yuelai Tea Garden are better, and food residues and teacups are cleaned up in time.
