Beijing: Market Tour, Tea Tasting, and Mahjong Workshop

Immerse yourself in Beijing's culture with a market tour, tea tasting, and mahjong workshop. Learn the basics of the game, discover the history of mahjong, and enjoy a guided practice session.
Begin your experience with a visit to a traditional Beijing wet market, a sensory feast of sights, sounds, and smells. This is where Beijing's culinary soul comes alive every morning. See tea stalls where locals buy jasmine or tieguanyin tea to sip between mahjong rounds.

Pass by snack vendors selling mahjong table essentials like sunflower seeds, peanuts, dried tofu, and candied hawthorn sticks. See fresh produce like Beijing's famous napa cabbage, leeks, garlic, and seasonal vegetables. Watch butchers chopping pork for dumplings and fish tanks with live carp.

Learn how to tell fresh ingredients from old ones (Beijing grandmother style) and why certain snacks are considered "mahjong snacks" (easy to eat with one hand). Discover how the market connects to Beijing's hutong lifestyle and daily rhythms. Take photos (ask vendors politely first), buy small snacks to bring to the mahjong table, and practice a few words of Beijing dialect with friendly vendors.

After the market, sit down with a cup of traditional Beijing tea (jasmine or high-mountain oolong). While you sip, your guide will share the history of mahjong in Beijing, from Qing dynasty courtiers to modern-day retirees. Learn how hutong culture shaped Beijing's playing style and the unwritten social rules of playing with locals (what to do and what never to do).

Next, learn the basics of mahjong, including tile recognition (bamboo, characters, circles, winds, and dragons — no flower tiles), Beijing-style rules and scoring (simpler than many other versions), and local expressions used at the table ("Hú le!" for a win, "Zài lái yī bǎ!" for one more round).

Finally, play multiple rounds with your group. Your instructor will offer tips, answer questions, and correct common mistakes. Snack on your market finds while you play — just like a real Beijinger.

Per garantire la disponibilità, prenota il prima possibile. La prenotazione anticipata è consigliata soprattutto se stai pianificando il viaggio durante l'alta stagione come le festività pubbliche o i fine settimana.

Questa escursione può essere annullata senza costi fino a 24 ore prima dell'inizio del viaggio. Se la annulli dopo 24 ore o non ti presenti all'escursione, ti verrà comunque addebitato il prezzo intero dell'attività. Essere in ritardo al ritiro o alla partenza sarà considerato come non presentarsi.