Another important question is. the demand for boiling water, and while the houses of the well-to-do it ix not difeult to have a constant supply of this all-important commodity, hot 30 in the poorer households, for they cannot afford to keep a fire burning the whole of the day." This dimeulty ts overcome by shops which sell. bolting making of teo, fand these are to be found in praclieally every street in the country, 10, mater how small or insignificant It may be.
Shanghai these places are called aohutu, "tiger stove, and as. the amount' involved in the purchase of a kettlefull of hot' water' is smaller than the lowest coin in circulation, usual for the customer to pay with bamboo slips, which have been purchased in advance from the shop.
One result of the constant drinking of tea is that the Chinese greally fens to eat anything that is not hot, as they do so their stomachs will be upset. They also differentiate very closely with regard to the heating fand cooling effects of the various kinds of food and drinks, and they fare very careful not to take things which they declare have a cooling effect upon their bodies.
The Poor Man's Club Teahouses, which were formerly intended for the convenience travellers, now are to be found everywhere, and are largely patronized by the lower classes, in fact, they may be called the poor man's club.
Some of them eater for special lasses of people, such as the ching-cha kuan of Peiping, to. which the birdfaneiers go after they have taken out their birds in the eatly morning.
'The lachienti, middlemen for. the buying or, mortgaging of - property and the letting of houses, also have place where they gather in the early morning and discuss any' business they may have on hand, while the cooks who specialize in preparing. food for birthday parties and other celebrations also' have their own Particular meeting place.
Another "variety "of teahouse is where the people gather to listen to the showashultl, story-teller, who, with much dramatic effect, describes the adventures of the heroes of old, especially those of the time of the Three Kingdoms, Formerly many of the theatres in Peiping were Known as techouses owing to the fact that the actors were. supposed to be employed by the Gov ernment and so were not allowed to work for other people. 'This dif-Geulty was got over by calling the theatres teahouses, and the entrance fees were supposed to be the money Paid by the audience for the {ex Supplied {0 them during' the performance, The only one of these theatres "still in existence isthe Chunghochayuan, "Chungho Tes Gardien which is situated in the Tungchushihkou outside the Chienmen, Bring Own Tea Leaves One peculiarity about the tea houses in Peiping is that it is usual) for the customers to bring their own eaves, the house merely supplying the hot water.
The social "importance of tea in China is further emphasized by the fact that it is one of the presents which must be sent to a young girl on her betroths the present of tea, and the acceptance of them is a proof that the family consent "to her engagement, In fact, a common way of ocking a young gid if she 1s engaged married. of not is to say to say to hier, "shoukuochamayoh?" or have you received the tea?
the days before the lure of the dance halls and cabarets, it was no uncommon thing for a party of young men to scck entertainment in one of the: fashionable houses in the "red light" district. These visite were known as tachawel, informal. gather ing. for tes, and og a rule. involved nothing more serious than light conversation interspersed with such humour as appealed to those concerned.
Gratuities to servants and others {in restaurants, hotels and other places entertainment are known a8 cha chien, tea money while the walters such places are called chafing, tea Foam, a name formerly given to the servants quarters in a yamen, It be-jing understood that one of their ehlet duties was to usher in guests and serve them with (ea, While the Chinese are so dependent upon fea and are very appreciative its restorative qualities in ease of overwork or fatigue they "are not blind to the fact that it 'Is. also harmful in certain respects, and ther is. saying to the effect that ten injurious In a hundred ways, but hax one good quality, namely' that of clearing the eyesight {rom_any dim= hess or inconvenience that may he 'Without "a doubt tea has been, known in China fe: many' centuries fand its discovery is attributed to the Emperor Shemung, the father of agriculture, and who is said te have lasted every Known grass and herb order to seo It It could be of any use to the people, and who in this way discovered many medicines,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.