Exploring tea houses in a cultural heritage town
After taking a flight, bus, and ferry, I arrived in Penang, Malaysia.
Penang, the most nostalgic city in Malaysia, has the characteristics of the 1920s and 1930s in China: one side is a bustling city, and the other side is a historic site. Walking around Penang, you will feel a leap in time and space. The most fascinating thing here is the integration and precipitation of various immigrant cultures. There are three major Asian civilizations here—Malaysia, China, and India. So far, I have been speaking Chinese to people since the day I arrived. The century-old buildings can be seen everywhere. The old stories are naturally scattered around the streets. It's a museum in and of itself, just waiting for me to feel and taste it quietly. Haha! And! The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has also designated it as a world cultural heritage site.
There are some very neat tea houses here. I can easily find all kind of teas, from Sheng Pu to Lao Bai Cha. Xinyi and I met at the Yunnan Dayi Malaysia location. Dayi is a huge Puer tea company that sells tea produced by the Menghai tea factory; if you are a Puer tea lover, you have probably heard of or drunk their teas before. Xinyi has been working there for two years. She is excited to tell me how fantastic this tea from Yunnan is, and when she started to brew 2002 Sheng Pu with her boss’s Zi Sha Hu, she said, "Let me brew this superstar tea with you since you love tea." I said, "How could you tell I love tea?" She said she could tell. I love that part so much. From our tea time, we shared our joy of Puer.
In other tea houses, I had good times as well. I enjoyed having tea alone and with others. The tea houses in this town have the same history as the town, from the tea table to the door for entering, and all the decorations around them give the tea a distinct character.
Consider the culture surrounding or associated with tea when drinking it; it may bring you different joy or taste. And nothing better than having steamed tea egg as tea snack.
