At Beijing: Have an afternoon tea with a local – Drink and Chat
Bridge to Locals · Beijing
In Beijing, winter is long and quiet — and nothing feels warmer than gathering around a small stove.
People call it “Fireside Tea”, or boiling tea by the stove — a tradition that has quietly returned to the city’s courtyards and teahouses.
Here, friends sit together beside the fire, boiling water in iron kettles and gently roasting tea leaves in clay pots. On the stove, you’ll often see small plates of fruits and snacks — tangerines, chestnuts, or rice cakes — warming slowly as the tea brews.
Beijingers are straightforward people — they care more about living than formality. For them, Fireside Tea isn’t an art or a ritual, but a way to pause and connect. In old hutongs or quiet tea rooms, people talk, sip tea, and watch the steam drift through the cold air. The fire crackles softly, and time seems to move a little slower.
In Beijing, Fireside Tea isn’t about the tea itself — it’s about warmth, company, and the comfort of sharing a quiet moment together in the heart of winter.
