WUHAN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- A teahouse close to the Athletes Village of the Military World Games, which will kick off on Friday in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, has become a major attraction for foreign participants.
A teahouse named Star Mountain in the high street next to the Athletes Village has been a frequently visited site for foreign participants. According to Zhao Longjiang, owner of the teahouse, over 600 visitors from overseas delegations paid patronage to his shop on Tuesday and they had received nearly 300 more Wednesday morning.
The teahouse is expecting to give receptions to more visitors as newly-arriving contingents are going to settle into the Village. "I came here to taste the Chinese tea yesterday and I like it so much," said Romanian delegation medical staffer Ciocoiu Florin on Tuesday. "So I come again today and I will definitely take some tea back home."
The waitresses wearing the costume of the Tujia ethnic group, over a quarter of which dwell in Hubei province, are also a highlight for the guests. Many asked to take photos with them while some raise questions about the design. In addition to savoring tea, witnessing the process of preparing tea is another important experience for the visitors.
Chinese-Canadian Kristina Han played host to her teammates on Wednesday, accompanying Canada's athletes to the teahouse and explaining to them Chinese tea culture, including the details of making tea and the ritual of drinking tea.
A total of 9,308 from 109 countries will compete in 329 events out of 27 sports in the largest ever 10-day military tournament, which will conclude on Oct. 27.
