Help yourself with free herbal tea
Society
By Zhu Yuxuan
The heartwarming annual tradition of serving free herbal tea begins as temperatures in Hangzhou rapidly soar after the plum rain season.
Among the countless herbal tea stalls setting up across the city, ten permanent locations and three temporary sites at the West Lake scenic area are offering the service from Jul 6 to Oct 7. These stalls aim to bring coolness to citizens, tourists, and outdoor workers.
This is the 13th year of the “Free Herbal Tea” program, allowing citizens and tourists to enjoy various functional, health-preserving herbal teas while touring the beautiful West Lake. The ingredients of the herbal tea drinks will be adjusted to match the solar terms.
The renowned herbal tea stall in Pujia residential community has been in service for the 22nd consecutive summer since its first establishment.
Wangjiang Subdistrict Community Health Service Center in Shangcheng district has introduced traditional Chinese medicine milk tea, allowing people to indulge in deliciousness while promoting health and wellness, all at no cost. The first day’s treat, “Ficus Hirta Traditional Chinese Medicine Milk Tea”, has become a hit, incorporating traditional Chinese medicine ingredients such as ficus hirta, coix seed, tartary buckwheat, poria cocos, and dried orange peel, with the effect of invigorating the spleen and eliminating dampness. Two more flavors will be coming up soon.
The inspiration for this innovation stems from the taste preferences of young people. To the center’s delight, middle-aged and elderly people also find this novelty appealing.