The city of Chengdu in Sichuan province is designed for slow strolls and tea sipping. Pick one of the lovely green spaces, maybe Baihuatan or Renmin Park, and sooner or later you'll come across a scattering of wicker chairs. Plop down in one of them and in moments a glass of hot water in which loose tea and flower petals are floating will appear. You'll know the tea has finished brewing and is ready to drink when the tea and most of the petals have sunk to the bottom of the glass.