TEAHOUSES OF CHENGDU

Teahouses of Chengdu is a photographic series focusing on Chinese tea culture, which examines both traditional Chinese teahouses, as well as more modern versions of them. The project focuses on people drinking tea and engaging in activities like cutting hair, shaving, playing cards, eating traditional snacks, socializing, or staring at their phones.

Although I personally do not enjoy drinking tea, some of my fondest memories involve going to the teahouse every week with my grandfather. In this series, by capturing moments in both the old style as well as the latest teahouses, I am representing an important aspect of my past and Chinese culture at large.

Ultimately, the tradition of drinking tea in China is less about the actual tea and more about spending mindful time with friends and family. With this project, I hope people will find more reasons to love all of the various aspects of tea culture.