Wenshu Yuan Monastery's Teahouse

Spend a relaxed day in Wenshu Yuan Monastery's teahouse, and savor the flavorful teas and freshly made desserts.Named Chen Lu (塵廬／尘庐), meaning "a hut in this earthly world", this tea house is located in the busy downtown area of Chengdu. Push open and enter those wooden doors, and after a few steps inside, you may feel more calm and refreshed. The smell, the sound and the sight all work together to relax your mind and body.The peaceful and impressive surroundings seem to take you to a much older time period. It's an escape from the modern world, or perhaps a mini time travel, if you please.

Chen Lu Teahouse - My Favorite Teahouse in Chengdu

Door to the teahouse in Wenshu Yuan Monastery

Teahouse courtyard in Wenshu Yuan Monastery

Behind those small doors, spacious and beautiful tearooms are awaiting.Simple and fun drawings on the wall. A monk is fanning the stove for his tea kettle.

Real fish and fake birds.

Teahouse in Wenshu Yuan Temple

On the second floor of the teahouse, I think this is a reading room for buddhist scriptures & texts. Above the green bowls on the right, it says "wash your hands and calm your mind/heart". Sometimes this room is empty like so; when people are studying in the room the door would be closed, and they line up their shoes by the door.

Pick Your Tea Room

Handmade dessert in Wenshu Yuan Monastery

Little vase in the corner at Wenshu Yuan Monastery

Semi-private tea rooms on the second floor are divided by drapes of minimalistic Chinese paintings and wooden panels. A shared big tea room is on the first floor, and private tea rooms are on the third floor. Both times I was there recently, I sat in a semi-private room.A tea room on the second floor.Next to the teahouse, there is a vegetarian restaurant. You can do buffet or hotpot. I went there a couple times, and the food was delicious.

Plan Your Visit

If you plan to visit Wenshu Yuan Monastery, avoid going there around big holidays: Chinese New Year's day, Labor Day in China (May 1st), National Day (Oct 1st). This picture shows the street outside of Wenshu Yuan Monastery on Chinese New Year's Day. Hundreds of people were lining up waiting to enter the temple.If you go on a weekday, the streets are a lot more empty and so is the temple complex.P.S.There is more than just a teahouse in Wenshu Yuan Monastery, you can see landscapes with ancient pavilions and temples. 

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