The meaning of Da Wan Cha is "tea in big bowls". It is a very popular drink in the old time in China. It was provided for the labor workers, blue collar staff and travelers who cannot afford the relatively expensive and time-consuming tea house drink.

The Da Wan Cha could be seen everywhere before 1980's. It probably has been a common drink for hundreds of years. The tea was available in a big barrel, then poured into big bowls and ready for drink. It was designed for the lower social class people, usually the capacity of the bowl is larger than 500cc, enough to quench the drinker's thirsty. Da wan Cha was simple, cheap but substantial for the labor workers. There was no tea houses for the Da Wan Cha, only a shelter by the road side, with simple tables and stools, sometimes no furniture at all. The drinkers just stand by the street to finish their drink and go ahead with their business.

In the 1980's there were still Da Wan Cha offered by many stores to give convenience to the citizens in hot summer. Some young people set up a Da Wan Cha booth in the most prosperous QianMen golden business area in the downtown Beijing, just on the south side of the TianAnMen Square. They later accumulated enough money to establish the Beijing Da Wan Cha Trading Company, later on it became the well-known Da Wan Cha department store in the QianMen area. Nowadays Da Wan Cha has almost disappeared in China and been replaced by the modern tea houses, cafe and cold drink booths. However, the Da Wan Cha Department Store is still selling Da Wan Cha by its entrance at a very low price. Millions of Chinese people can still enjoy the traditional popular drink by visiting this famous store.