“Casa da tè: una metafora della Cina di oggi. L'opera teatrale, il brand e il tele-film”

This essay is an exploration of the political, cultural and economic relevance of the theater play Teahouse in China over the past three decades. After a few remarks on the Beijing brand “Lao She Teahouse”, we will provide a detailed comparison between, on one side, the original 1957 text (and the criticism it has received) and, on the other side, the television series Teahouse broadcasted by channel CCTV8 in 2010. The two main thematic pillars of the latter version, which are not present in the original play, are the heroism of a moral Confucian exemplified by the character of Chang Siye) and the great role of young communist soldiers in freeing the country. While Lao She was accused of having neglected Communism, leaving audiences with only an unresolved cycle of desperation, it is evident that, on the contrary, the 2010 series is devoted to the appraisal of Communism as the only end to the suffering of the Chinese people. What we will argue is that this new version fits perfectly with Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping’s idea of a renovated moral “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”.