Lao She finished writing Teahouse in 1957. The play shows the lives of common people in China between 1898 and 1945. It takes place in a teahouse in old Beijing and it tells us the story of Wang Lifa and his customers. It asks us to see the teahouse as the centre of the neighbourhood. Finally, it says goodbye to old Beijing and its people.
The story starts in 1898 during the Qing dynasty. It continues in 1916, and finally, it brings the audience to the end of the Anti-Japanese War, in 1945. After the war, Wang loses the teahouse and dies.
Lao She was born in Beijing in 1899. His mother sent him to a teacher's school in Beijing and he learned to teach. From 1924 to 1929 he taught Chinese to the English in London. He wrote many plays, novels and short stories. He was named "the People's Artist" and "the Great Master of Language". He was one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century.
In Lao She Teahouse today, waiters bring tea to the customers and sell them delicious Chinese food. If you like the Beijing Opera, folk(民间的) music, acrobatics(杂技) or magic shows, you can enjoy them in the teahouse. Lao She Teahouse gives a warm welcome to everyone from all over the world.
