Chrysanthemum Tea (film) explained

Chrysanthemum Tea

Native Name:

Child:	yes
Hide:	no
Header:	none
T:	菊花茶
S:	菊花茶
P:	Júhuā chá

Director:

Jin Chen

Producer:

Zhang Pimin
Sun Yi’an
Zhu Jingfeng
Lu Cunzhi
Hou Shengjun

Based On:

a story by Peng Jianming

Starring:

Chen Jianbin
Wu Yue
He Tao

Music:

An Wei

Cinematography:

Huang Lian

Editing:

Du Yuan

Studio:

Xi'an Film Studio
Shanxi Hengtai Group

Runtime:

95 minutes

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Chrysanthemum Tea, also known in English under the title Love Story by Tea,^[1] ^[2] is a 2001 Chinese film directed by Jin Chen, starring Chen Jianbin and Wu Yue and produced by Xi'an Film Studio and Shanxi Hengtai Group. It is based on a short story by Peng Jianming (彭见明). The film was shown at the Moscow and Karlovy Vary film festivals.^[3]

Plot

Middle-aged railway worker Ma Jianxin is sent to a two-week poetry appreciation course. There, he meets a young female teacher named Li Weihua. Among the students, only Ma seems to appreciate poetry. During a lunch, the two find out that they share a taste for chrysanthemum tea. After she faints during the graduation ceremony, Ma rushes her to hospital on his back. They meet again few months later. They are in love, but Li's heart disease precludes any form of physical intimacy. They marry nevertheless.^[4] ^[5]

Cast

Chen Jianbin as Ma Jianxin.
Wu Yue as Li Weihua.
He Tao as Gougou.
Zhang Zhongjie.
Qiu Yuzhen as Ma's mother.
Huang Lian.
Cheng Qin as Huang Xiangjiu, Gougou's girlfriend.^[6]

Notes and References

Web site: 菊花茶 Love Story by Tea (2000). March 9, 2020.
News: Stephen Short. The Current State of Chinese Film is Very Dire. Time Asia. October 26, 2000. March 9, 2020.
Web site: Juhua cha (2001) Release Info. March 9, 2020.
Web site: Chrysanthemum Tea. March 9, 2020. Thessaloniki Film Festival.
Web site: Chrysanthemum tea [electronic resource] : (love story by tea)]. March 9, 2020. Stanford Libraries.
Web site: Chrysanthemum Tea. March 9, 2020. Thessaloniki Film Festival.