Every Hainan town has a rhythm. In Haikou, the beat slows to a crawl in the late afternoon, when the tea houses fill with retirees, market vendors and anyone with an hour to spare. They come for "dad tea" — lao ba cha in local speech.
What is dad tea?
A glass of strong black tea sweetened with condensed milk, served with a thermos of hot water to top it up, plus a plate of steamed buns, fried snacks or a bowl of noodles. The tea is almost a pretext: the point is sitting, talking and watching the street.
Where to find it
The densest tea houses cluster around Qilou Old Street and the old neighborhoods of Bo'ai Road and Deshengsha. Look for plastic stools spilling onto the sidewalk — that is the real thing.
How to order like a local
Order one glass of tea per person, add a basket of steamed buns (包子), and refill from the thermos as long as you like. Nobody rushes you. A full afternoon for two rarely costs more than $5.
Read next Pair a dad tea afternoon with our Haikou destination guide and the Hainan rice noodle breakfast trail.
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