Broadcasting Time: 16:30-16:55 GMT+08:00 2007-01-17

Customers watch traditional Chinese tea art performance at Laoshe Tea House in Beijing. [File Photo: bjd.com.cn]

A waiter dressed in a traditional long gown and skullcap warmly welcomes every visitor to the Lao She Teahouse in pure Beijing dialect.

In line with the traditional costume, all the waiters here go by their traditional name: Xiao'er.

The Lao She Teahouse is in Qianmen, about 10-minute's walk from Tian'anmen Square.

It's named after one of China's literary giants, Laoshe.

One of Lao She's most famous dramas, called "Teahouse," gives a vivid portrayal of the social dimensions present in old Beijing.

Decades have passed and the archetypal teahouses in Lao She's book no longer exist, but customers can still journey back to the past in the bustling Lao She Teahouse.

Jasmine tea is the favorite of many old Beijingers, with its pure, clear taste and strong aroma. It's definitely on the menu at the Lao She Teahouse.

But the teahouse boasts an exclusive "art" tea as well as traditional jasmine tea.

It's quite an incredible sight.

When boiling water is poured in the glass, the seemingly ordinary tea ball blossoms into an ethereal flower.

The teahouse manager shows us how to create this kind of magic.

"Usually, we use a thin thread to string about 160 tender tea shoots together with a bloom, such as jasmine flower, camellia flower, sweet osmanthus flower or lily flower. It's good to drink tea of these flowers often, especial for ladies, as each one helps to maintain beauty in a different way."

But China's rich tea culture is about much more than just sipping.

People flock to the teahouse to watch folk art and you can find a variety of vaudeville shows on at the teahouse on any given day, like Beijing Opera, acrobatics, shadow puppets or martial arts.

But it would be a pity to miss the performance of the Xiao'ers while you're watching the shows.

Every Xiao'er at the Lao She Teahouse carries a special copper pot with a meter-long spout.

And they handle the scalding pot without spilling a single drop of water.

Why is the spout a meter long?

Xiao'er Xu Dawei says that's the only way to make sure the water is poured at the proper temperature.

"The long-spouted pot is a special heirloom in an old Beijing teahouse, particularly designed for brewing green tea. Water in the pot is about 90 degrees Celsius, but green tea tastes best at 80 degrees. Through this long spout, the temperature of the water decreases to the correct 80 degrees, so customers can enjoy the best fragrance."

Dawan tea is just as famous as the long-spouted teapot. The Chinese name means "inexpensive tea in a big tea bowl" and it was another old Beijing teahouse specialty.

It's said that the founder of Lao She Teahouse, Yin Shengxi, started his business by serving Dawan tea for just two cents each.

And today it's the only teahouse still serving Dawan tea for two cents a bowl, even though there's no profit in it.