Laoshe Teahouse was founded in 1988. It soon became popular in Beijing for offering "Dawancha" or "big-bowl tea", a tradition that has been running for more than 2 decades. The best part is that the price has never changed. Today, you can still get a bowl of refreshing tea for only two Chinese cents. And if you don't have the change, don't worry a cup of tea will be served for free. The open air tea service is a tradition dating back 17-hundred years just one part of the rich tea culture in Beijing.

Teahouses, however, are not only about tea. Story-telling is one of the biggest attractions for visitors. The art form became popular at the end of the Qing Dynasty. At its peak, there were more than 180 teahouses with story-tellers in the capital. Over time, the entertainment expanded to include traditional operas, folk art, acrobatics, magic, and martial arts just to name a few. Famous artists from different schools of traditional Chinese opera also often performed on the teahouse stage.