Digital Representations of Chinese Teahouse Music

Platforms such as YouTube feature materials titled “Teahouse in Ancient China - Historical Ambience XXABSTRACT Music” or “Tea Ceremony Music”. Prima facie, these have parallels with the modern Western concept of the “coffee shop playlist”, which has become quite commonplace as a study or work aid. However, the passive listening habits associated with these kinds of playlists contrast with the varied entertainment culture experienced in the functioning teahouses of modern China, where performative aspects are the focus, for example. In this paper, I explore how Chinese teahouse music is presented on YouTube, drawing comparisons between playlists accompanied by static images and samples of recorded performances found on the platform. Finally, I discuss the potential problems arising from such representations of the Chinese teahouse.