I'm pretty confident I've nailed the best ones, but if you've found any gems I've missed, please chip in.
1. Wangye Temple, Zigong
Zigong, the one-time salt-mining capital of China, is also the king of Sichuan teahouses, and its jewel in the crown is housed within the ochre-coloured walls of this 100-year-old temple. Perched above the Fuxi River, Wangye was built to ensure safe passage for boats transporting salt downstream. No longer an active temple, it's now the perfect hangout for salt-of-the-earth locals who come here for tea, banter, card games and a great river view.
?Tea, temple and tranquility. ?Image by Daniel McCrohan / londoninfopage.
2. Huanhou Palace, Zigong
Zigong does it again with this fabulous teahouse located inside an 1868 butcher's guildhall. No river views with this one, but the hugely imposing stone facade has to be the most dramatic entrance to any teahouse in China. Step inside and you'll find seating in a tree-filled, open-air courtyard bordered by intricate stone carvings, wooden beams and a charming old stone stage.
?Front doors don't get much better. ?Image by Daniel McCrohan / londoninfopage.
3. Heming Teahouse, People's Park, Chengdu
As Sichuan's capital city,?Chengdu naturally has its fair share of wonderful teahouses. This one, in the city's most central park, is perfect people-watching material. Many locals, particularly elderly ones, seem to spend all day everyday here, sitting by the small lake, sipping tea while they play cards, gossip, have their hair cut or even have their earwax removed! 10 yuan (US$1.5) per ear, in case you were wondering.
4. Any teahouse by the river, Pingle
Not one single teahouse, but a whole row of them, all lined up along the riverside in the ancient town of Pingle. Art students flock here to paint the scenery, and for good reason; it's gorgeous. Order a pot of China's finest and sit beside a wooden Ming dynasty building while you watch other tourists punt their way along the river on bamboo rafts.
5. Tibetan Restaurant, Ganzi
About a third of Sichuan lies across grasslands and mountains rising up towards the Tibetan plateau, and much of what you find in the west of the province is more Tibetan than Chinese... including the teahouses. Tibetan Restaurant is actually a teahouse in disguise. Although it does food - in this case excellent food - for most of the day its prime purpose is to serve gossip-hungry Tibetans their daily fix of yak-butter tea. Staff members are wonderful and the decor - a riot of golds, reds and blues - shows you that this is Tibet in all but name.
?Tea for Tibet. ?Image by Daniel McCrohan / londoninfopage.
