A tea house in Russia's Moscow is introducing locals to centuries-old traditions, offering not only premium brews, but also hands-on experiences in tea preparation and ceremony as China's tea culture continues to flourish abroad.
The tea house offers three floors of cozy tea glades, there are even hammocks built into the floor for relaxing over a nice warm cup of tea.
Although Russia has its own tea traditions—drinking it with treats and sweets—many prefer the aesthetics of just the taste of tea leaves.
"At first, one of the most difficult things was just to convey the process of tea etiquette—you just try and drink tea slowly. Try to go from the start to the end—from meeting the tea to finishing the tea. And it was difficult in terms of how long it took—for all those who live in a big city and are in a hurry and on the run—it doesn’t feel normal to drink tea for two hours. But then many people fell in love with it, when they try and understand that there is taste, aroma, that all these differences make up the tea's own aesthetics—that there is history behind it, knowledge, just the beauty of the moment and you get the opportunity to slow down in the rhythm of the big city," said Denis Nikolaev, co-founder of the tea house.
The atmosphere of the teahouse is different from the hustle and bustle of the city outside. All the calmness here helps the residents of this megapolis sharpen their senses to feel the different tones in the taste, and hear their own thoughts better.
"I like the atmosphere, the candles, the tea itself. Visiting the tea house gives me a sense of a home outside of home. Here I can do my things, get away from all the outside noise at work and elsewhere," said Evgeny, a customer.
"I love the quietness and calmness here. It's like an oasis in a busy city. It gives a chance to relax and slow down—to reflect on a different flow of time outside the hustle," said Olga, another customer.
The tea house boasts a collection of different types of tea available for ceremonies or purchase. And the idea is that tea is more than leaves—it is an art bringing traditional Chinese tea culture to local customers.
Tea house in Moscow shares traditional Chinese tea culture with locals
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
