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 place people 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 an became booming in modern times.
In the Song dynasty, teahouses existed all over cities and villages, a rate comparable with that of restaurants. The owners preferred to decorate their teahouses with paintings celebrities and rare and precious plants (attract) customers. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the number of teahouses went beyond that of restaurants, gaining more (popular) and becoming more famous. Later, the acculturation (文化移入) of western culture forced traditional Chinese teahouses to take on new look. After reform and opening-up, with the rapid development of the economy and (evidence) improvement of people's living standards, teahouses flowered in China.
