Fast forward 6 weeks and I got smart and consulted Lonely Planet: Shanghai. It recommends The Old Shanghai TeaHouse, described as a "wonderfully decrepit 2nd-floor teahouse, overlooking the Old Street (Fangbang Rd). It's a shrine to the 1930's, with period typewriters, sewing machines, electric fans and even an ancient fridge." So we took the bait.
The tea selection was extensive and the snacks menu had everything we needed. We ordered steamed dumplings and Shepherd's Purse Wonton Soup for the table. They were delicious!
Mom ordered Sultry Jasmine tea. It starts out as the dried flower, all curled up, looking more like something made of fabric or yarn than a tea starter!
She was instructed to let it steep for at least 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, Heinz ordered one of the Kung Fu Teas. (And yes, we are incapabled of saying that without doing some sort of slash-slash! hand motions!)
The actual pouring ritual was quite elaborate: pour the hot water onto the leaves in the one tiny (covered) pot, strain that water out into another tiny pot (see the strainer upside down on the tray), pour that first serving off into a tiny little cup, barely bigger than a thimble. That gets turned upside down into your actual drinking cup to sit for a minute, and finally that first pour is dumped into the tray beneath. From what we could gather, the first pour was considered too strong to drink, and the tiny thimble-like cup merely served to engage the sense of smell as the waitress very eagerly instructed Heinz that he was to smell it after it was emptied. Then the entire process was done a second time, minus the part with the tiny thimble-like cup, and Heinz was instructed to drink up.
But our waitress was delightful, and both Mom and Heinz enjoyed their teas. (I have never been a tea drinker so I stuck to my chocoholic nature and had Cocoa.) We sat and enjoyed our view of the street and the shops below
and Mom really got a kick out of the old radio, very similar to the one she and Aunt Mel used to listen to, laying on their living room floor as kids!
By the time we finished, Mom's jasmine had fully opened.
So if you are looking for an enjoyable TeaHouse experience either with your guests or for yourself, avoid the trap at the center of the lake. Leave the Bazaar (and the Skull Soupery and Cornish Hen Tepee-ery) and go down the street to The Old Shanghai TeaHouse. You will be so glad you did! But before you leave the Bazaar, we definitely recommend a stroll through the Gardens. It had turned into a nice day, a bit cold but sunny, so we decided that a visit was in order. Mom waits at the entrance as we buy the tickets.
One meaning of Yù is Jade, and I have heard the YuYuan referred to as the Jade Garden (Yuan=Garden) but I actually think that while the pinyin is the same, the character of the name is actually diferent than the Mandarin character for Jade. Another source lists Yu as meaning "peace and health", and cites this as the origin for the name based on Pan Yunduan's building the gardens for his father's pleasure. Unfortunately it is very difficult for me to reverse-check a Chinese character, so in the meantime I offer this from Wikipedia:
The garden, located in the center of the Old City, was first established in 1559 as a private garden created by Pan Yunduan, who spent almost 20 years building a garden to please his father Pan En, a high-ranking official in the Ming Dynasty, during his father's old age. Over the years, the gardens fell into disrepair until about 1760 when bought by merchants, before suffering extensive damage in the 19th century. In 1842, during the Opium Wars, the British army occupied the Town God Temple for five days. During the Taiping Rebellion the gardens were occupied by imperial troops, and damaged again by the Japanese in 1942. They were repaired by the Shanghai government from 1956–1961, opened to the public in 1961, and declared a national monument in 1982.
Thankfully, as it was a weekday, it was not terribly crowded.
(Unfortunately I did miss noting which building this is above- sorry Mom!) The old traditional Dragon walls; seen around the city, I think this is the only one with an actual dragon head carving. This one could benefit from a closer look; click on the photo to see it larger.
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore...In contrast to European dragons, which are considered evil, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. (Wikipedia). The Year of the Dragon is soon upon us! More on that to follow!
The quintessential Chinese doorway: This round doorway is often referred to a moongate because of its shape. It represents the full moon, or happiness....The threshold, typically raised 3-5 inches to help control rainwater, must be stepped over upon passing through this doorway. This brings that act of entry into the conscious thoughts of the person entering. It impresses upon the visitor an awareness of the privelege of their entry into the property (Wikipedia). I wish I knew what the characters overhead say.
We do hope you've enjoyed your visit. Hopefully next time we can show you around for real!
Our love to you all~
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