Afternoon Tea and Dessert Tour on the Huaihai Road in Shanghai

Meet your guide and small group in central Shanghai, and stroll along Huaihai Road, a popular shopping and food haunt. As you walk, hear about Shanghai’s love of tea and tea drinking rituals, and learn about the different tea varieties that hail from various regions of China. For starters, visit two pastry shops to sample Chinese mooncakes. These delicious pastry-coated cakes feature savory or sweet fillings and are usually circular to symbolize family reunions. Sample some varieties and learn how the cakes are usually served with tea, and most popular during China’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Next, head inside a tea house and enjoy a classic tea ceremony as you learn about China’s historical tea culture and how it rose to favor in the west during the 1800s. Savor varieties such as pu-erh, ginseng oolong, and jasmine and black tea from Fujian, and learn about the roles of differently sized cups and temperatures of water used for different varieties. Finally, visit a Cantonese dessert restaurant to taste some traditional sweets. Sample cold treats such as milk pudding with purple sticky rice, jellied mousse cake, papaya, and scrumptious mango purée and almond tofu. Your tour then ends in the area when your guide departs.

• Local guide

• Food tour

• Desserts

• Afternoon tea/tea ceremony

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

• Gratuities