In this week's episode of "Chorus of Life," CGTN takes you to a traditional teahouse in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Tea is an essential part of life in Sichuan, an area known for its laid-back lifestyle. Guanyinge is a 100-year-old teahouse located just outside of the provincial capital Chengdu.

"People elsewhere say Sichuan people are so lazy, because everyone – young or old – hangs out in tea shops every day," said Li Qiang, owner of Guanyinge. "But look what goes on in these teahouses – matchmaking, trading goods… A teahouse is a miniature society."

The shop has been a social meeting place for the elderly, some of whom have been drinking tea there for 70 years. Being in this shop is like traveling back in time – old copper kettles whistle on stone stoves heated with coal, water bubbling and boiling inside. A cup of tea is prepared simply here – cheap leaves in unornamented porcelain cups – and sold for only one yuan, or less than two U.S. cents.

The social interaction is considered more important than just enjoying a good cup of tea. "You can joke around with anyone in a teahouse," said Li. "It's impossible elsewhere, certainly impossible at Starbucks. Even if you’re not from here, two sentences can bring strangers close."

Tea shops like Guanyinge are disappearing in Chengdu, replaced by mahjong houses where tea is also served. But Li hangs on to the old way. "If I closed this shop, where would these elderly go?"