Kuwaiti billiards players unwind at the most popular venue inside the international zone. Provided to China Daily

GUANGZHOU - Guess which is the most crowded place at midnight in the international zone of the Athletes' Village?

Too tough? OK, here's a hint, it's not a KTV booth or the DVD projection room.

Give up?

It's the teahouse!

Even the venue's manager didn't imagine his ornate teahouse would become the No 1 destination for residents to spend leisurely evenings.

"Honestly, I am surprised about the sold-out tea ceremony every evening. It was designed to be a quiet place for appreciating the lingering, sweet aftertaste of a hard day. But it has turned out to be a tea party now," said Pei Shuai, manager of the teahouse, who leads a crew of 14 specialists from Taetea, China's top tea maker, in serving customers 16 hours a day.

Due to the high demand, Pei has had to change the venue's closing time from midnight to 2 am, and divide his employees into two shifts.

Apart from the Chinese tea, many customers choose the spot because they feel it is the perfect place to make friends and share experiences.

"We come here almost every evening after our games are finished. It has been a routine for us to drink a cup of tea and chat with friends here," said Ahmad Altarkait, a Kuwaiti billiards player.

"We always enjoy our time here. We share interesting stories with other athletes from different countries and regions. And it is also a pleasure to talk to the beautiful ladies who perform the elegant tea ceremony."

The tea ceremony is a crowd favorite, but not everybody enjoys the beverages.

"It's a little bitter for us, although it smells good. We are used to putting sugar or milk into tea to neutralize the flavor. But the Chinese prefer the original taste without sugar. Maybe we need some time to adapt to it," said Meqdad Taqi, another Kuwaiti billiards player.

Among all the kinds of tea available, Puer, from Yunnan province, is the best seller due to its function of keeping blood-pressure levels under control, according to Pei.

"Nearly every customer buys the Puer tea when they know it benefits health when taken daily. Our revenue reaches $3,000 every day. That's definitely beyond our expectations," he said.

Meanwhile the "tea girls" are learning while on the job.

With a similar tradition of tea serving and drinking, Japanese customers willingly share their own sado knowledge with the girls.

Miho Yoshida, an official with the Japanese synchronized swimming team, is one of the "foreign experts".

"Japanese sado is famous for its delicate methods and cultural nuances. I enjoy communicating with the waitresses here. Not only to help their skills, but also as a kind of cultural exchange," said Yoshida.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/26/2010)