A teahouse is a special house which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments(茶点). Its function varies widely(depend)on the culture. In China, a teahouse is a placepeople gather to enjoy tea, chat and socialize. It(consider) as a symbol of Chinese tea culture and people's leisure lives.
Chinese teahouses enjoy a long-standing history. They developed from tea(stand) in the Western JIN Dynasty, took shape in the Tang Dynasty, developed(gradual) in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties and became booming in modern times.
In the Song Dynasty, teahouses spread all over the cities and villages, at a rate comparable with that of restaurants. The owners preferred to decorate their teahousespaintings of celebrities or rare and precious plants(attract) customers. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the number of teahouses went beyond that of restaurants, gaining much(wide) popularity and becoming more famous. Later, the acculturation(文化植入)of western culture forced traditional Chinese teahouses to take onnew look.
Since reform and opening-up, with the rapid development of the economy and evident improvement of people's living standards, teahouses(flower) in China.
