In these hectic times, it's nice to have a place to take a break away from the din of the modern and maddening. Such a retreat can be found in any Wuyutai Teahouse, and it’s been this way in Beijing for more than 100 years.

According to Wuyutai, reformed in August 2005 as the Beijing Wuyutai Tea Company Limited, the company began operations under its founder Wu Xiqing of Xi County, Huizhou, in Anhui Province, in the 13^th year of Qing Emperor Guangxu. Wu paid an intellectual, Zhu Chunnian, five silver dollars to write the first tablet for the Wuyutai Tea Shed.

It all began after people in Beijing had a chance to taste some tea that Wu had brought with him on his initial travels to Beijing. A surprise to Wu, the people who tasted the tea thought it was just great and advised him to set up a tea stand, which he did, inside a doorway on the eastern side of Beixinqiao Street (an intersection). He soon sold out his tea supply; so he returned to Anhui to get as much tea as he could to sell in Beijing.

Wuyutai, now one of Beijing's most respected Time Honoured Businesses (laozihao) was established upon his return, specializing in the transportation, storage and wholesale sales of tea, but also serving as a place where the rich and common, friends and families could meet in a hospitable atmosphere.

Time passed and sales increased. One after another, Wuyutai teashops were established and prospered through to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).

Before his death, to show his fairness, he divided his fortune into five equal parts, which were named "Justice," "Humanity," "Courtesy," "Intelligence" and "Faith." He let his five sons draw lots and they happened to get their shares in this order. Three of them later merged their shares and formed an organization, the Company of Brothers, combining the shares known as Courtesy, Intelligence and Faith, with business activities valued in the thousands of liang (a unit of measure for silver).

Within the group, operations were divided into Wudeli teashops, roughly corresponding to the shares of Courtesy; the Wuyutai and Wudingyu teashops corresponding to the shares of Intelligence and the Xieli teashop and the Xieshun department store of Faith.

At the beginning of 20^th century, out-of-town tea merchants stopped trying to enter the Beijing market. Tea enterprises that were engaged in retail operations purchased tea from Tianjin or let local wholesale businessmen buy tea in places of their origin. With the tea market growing larger, and as a tea enterprise with an emphasis on wholesaling, Wuyutai was able to develop rapidly.

Beijingers loved and still love to drink tea, whether members of imperial families, the political elite or ordinary folks (the laobaixing). Beijingers have been sipping tea for a long time, with the practice rising to great popularity during the Yuan (1271–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties. The royal courts once consumed as much as 80,000 jin (40,000 kilogrammes) per year, and tea drinking was especially popular with Man officials of the Qing Dynasty. But, throughout the fortunes of history over the past few hundreds of years in Beijing, one thing has remained constant: expensive and high-quality teas and the cheap and low-grade could be found at Wuyutai. From the first day that Wuyutai began, the firm has always treated all its customers with respect, whether laobaixing or upscale; it's a fundamental policy of the company.

Now, although modern Wuyutai teashops look old, they are well decorated inside and out, with an aim of making customers feel that they are at home in Beijing. Square tables can be found in the middle and rear of most shops, alongside which rest inviting chairs and stools. The walls are lined with counters; behind them there are doors that conceal private rooms where customers may be served by waiters or serve themselves teas of jasmine, peach blossoms, sweet acanthus and more, in an atmosphere that includes flowers and "Phoenix Facing the Sun" papercuts and other accoutrements of the refned tea culture.

After hundreds of years' development, what kind of customers has been served in Beijing tea market? Some prefer their teas in a public area where they can enjoy a special atmosphere and service. Others prefer to relax with their teas at home.

Still, at Wuyutai—known as the Red Sun Tea House during what the company refers to as the "Ten-year Ferment," before being renamed Wuyutai in 1985 during its 98^th year—the customer base is regarded broadly. They never ask: "Were they from stately families or ordinary families?" A couplet may explain the company's attitude: "Hundreds of industries compete for luxury in the capital, but how many of them belong to stately homes? Citizens in the ancient city advocate thrift, most of whom are, after all, from ordinary families. " With this policy, Wuyutai has won much praise from its legendary customers, who once came from dozens of kilometres away to its shops to buy tea, for there were no chain stores in urban areas back then.

Now, like a giant standing in Beijing, Wuyutai, a respected laozihao has become a big and profitable enterprise in this line of business.

One hundred years is a short time in a Chinese history book, but Wuyutai's legacy is strong and means much to the company. Perhaps a hundred years ago a thoughtful Beijinger might have said: "There is a tea shop in Beixinqiao, which is opened by an Anhuier." In another hundred years will a Beijinger say: "Wuyutai's tea is a necessity for everyday life."