Yum Cha, literally “drinking tea”, is an ancient tradition in Guangzhou. The morning tea ranks their first choice and has become one of the important parts of their daily lives.
When they meet in the morning, they usually greet each other with "Have you drunk tea?" Drinking tea has become a habit of Guangzhou residents. By drinking tea, Guangzhou residents mean to drink tea in the teahouse. They drink morning tea, afternoon tea and night tea, and also eat pastries with breakfast, while spreading news, enhancing friendships and talking about business.
"Yum Cha" is a kind of social activity, and a distinct characteristic of Lingnan culture. And nowadays, you could have morning tea not only in teahouse but in restaurant or inside hotel.
The tea drinking tradition can be traced back a hundred years to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In those days, the Cantonese used to go to a nearby teahouse, like the popular "Two-Cent Teahouse," where they needed to pay only two cents for a pot of tea and some simple snacks. The customers were mostly temporary laborers who couldn't afford anything more expensive.
By the later Qing period, teahouses in the true sense had emerged in Guangzhou. These were more expensive places offering much better tea with a variety of delicacies. The teahouse had become a retreat for professionals and businessmen as well as the ordinary people.
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