Yangzhou’s World Cup hydration break: Traditional Chinese tea, dumplings and buns

JIANGSU – A unique scene has unfolded in Yangzhou in East China’s Jiangsu province over the past month during the World Cup, which is heading towards its thrilling finale on July 20.

Usually serene teahouses, filled with the aroma of freshly steamed delicacies, are abuzz with the cheers – and occasional tears – of football fans watching the early-morning matches.

Unlike previous tournaments, when late-night games often came with barbecue and beer, the time difference for the 2026 tournament has resulted in a different type of hydration break – one that is going down well with the city’s football fans.

Fans have chosen to enjoy the early kick-offs over a traditional morning tea – sipping on the ancient infusion, munching on local delicacies and celebrating the tournament’s spectacular goals.

“Watching the World Cup while having morning tea is a very different experience,” says football fan Han Xiao. “It allows us to appreciate Yangzhou’s tea culture while still getting to watch the games. It is a refreshing way to enjoy the tournament.”

A fan of the Scotland team, Han was excited when Scotland scored against Haiti in its group stage opener. “I was pleased with the result,” he says, following the 1-0 win on June 14.

At Yechun, one of Yangzhou’s most renowned teahouses, staff have adjusted their schedules for the tournament, switching on large screens for customers whenever there are morning matches. For some popular games, the teahouse even opens earlier to accommodate fans.

“Most World Cup matches in the past were held at night, so fewer people would get up early to watch them,” says Hong Jing, deputy general manager of Yechun Catering. “This year, many matches take place in the morning, which gave us the idea of combining football with Yangzhou morning tea.”

The teahouse has launched special World Cup breakfast packages, allowing groups of fans to watch games while enjoying traditional dishes.

Inside the teahouse, football-themed decorations adorn the traditional interior. While the world’s top players battle it out on the big screens, servers skip between tables carrying steaming baskets of dim sum.

Yangzhou’s morning tea culture

For Yangzhou residents, morning tea is far more than a meal. It is a long-established ritual that reflects the city’s relaxed pace and social traditions.

The saying “having water wrapped in the morning and being wrapped in water at night” describes a local way of life – enjoying soup-filled dumplings in the morning at the teahouse and bathing in the evening.

Yangzhou’s morning tea culture developed alongside the city’s historical prosperity, particularly during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911), when the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal brought economic and cultural exchanges from far and wide.

Teahouses became places not only for dining, but also for conversations, friendships and business discussions.

Yechun, with a history spanning 300 years of cultural heritage and nearly 150 years as a formal establishment, remains one of the best-known representatives of Yangzhou morning tea.

Today, the brand operates 37 stores, including 22 in Yangzhou.

“Traditional Yangzhou morning tea emphasises freshly made delicacies: freshly ordered, freshly wrapped, freshly steamed and freshly served,” says Hong.

Among the must-try dishes are steamed dumplings, five-diced buns, jade-coloured siew mai and thousand-layer oil cake.

The famous “salt merchant five-diced bun” combines five ingredients – diced chicken, pork, bamboo shoots, shrimp and sea cucumber – reflecting the refined techniques of Huaiyang cuisine, one of the four great traditions in Chinese cuisine from Huai’an and Yangzhou in Jiangsu.

Another signature dish, hot dried tofu strips, is a showcase of knife skills. A large piece of dried tofu is sliced into fine threads and dressed with soya sauce, sesame oil, ginger and shrimp, creating a simple yet delicate flavour.

The city’s morning tea culture has also attracted international visitors. Hong says foreign guests are often fascinated by Yangzhou’s soup dumplings, asking how the soup can be enclosed inside the dough.

The answer lies in a traditional technique: Chefs prepare aspic in advance, combine it with the dough and let it melt into soup during steaming.

The World Cup has provided a new setting for this centuries-old tradition. As football fans gather around tea tables, Yangzhou morning tea demonstrates how heritage can adapt to contemporary lifestyles. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK