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In Sichuan, teahouses also function as places for the exchange of current information. Most Sichuan teahouses cater to tea drinkers, young and old, who come to meet and have a chat about everything ranging from the bride’s dowry to a fierce political debate, Sichuan is an inland province in China and transportation is not as convenient as other coastal province. However, as you sit in teahouses and start a conversation with other customers, you will soon know everything under the sun.
As Europe is well-known for its cafes and pubs, China has her own gathering place, the teahouse. At the beginning of the century and until the 50's, they were widespread throughout the country. Nowadays, Sichuan province is the only place where they still play a major role in people's daily life.
Although teahouses are slowly reappearing in other parts of China like Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, Sichuan remains the only province where teahouses do play a role in everyone's daily life. In Sichuan, in fact, there are three places in a person's day: home, office and teahouse.
Many Chinese link the origin of teahouses in Sichuan with the geographic characteristics of the province. Sichuan, also known as the 'Land of Abundance', is an immense and prosperous province. Encircled by mountains, it was isolated from other provinces, but being rich in resources was always self-sufficient. Sichuanese people link this isolation with the rather slowly paced rhythm typical of their lifestyle. People's devotion to food is another important element. Any social event constitutes an opportunity to gather around a table and savour the local spicy dishes, such as the famous hotpot. Drinking tea goes well with spicy food and Sichuan is one of the most important regions for the production of tea in China.
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