A CHINESE MAN WATCHES A FOLK ART ENTERTAINER PERFORM IN A BEIJING TEAHOUSE, 2002-11-27 (photo)

A Chinese man watches a folk art entertainer perform in a traditional Chinese teahouse in Beijing November 27, 2002. Traditional teahouses in China's capital often stage Peking Opera performances or offer customers a more tranquil atmosphere, a meeting place for philosophers, artists and local residents. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the majority of Beijing's teahouses were closed because of fears of their role in the exchange of ideas and their potential threat to the government as dens of dissent. Teahouses began to reopen in the early 1980s. But with the increasing influence of Western culture, bars and cafes remain more popular than the teahouses. REUTERS/Guang Niu GN/CP