| | | | Part I |
| 1 | So-sa | | Li-yan's mother. Aka: A-ma. |
| | First | Brother | Li-yan's first brother. |
| | Second | Brother | Li-yan's second brother. |
| | Third | Brother | Li-yan's third brother. |
| | Sha-li | | Li-yan's father. Aka: A-ba. |
| | Ci-teh | | Li-yan's neighbor and friend. |
| | Deh-ja | | Ci-teh's sister-in-law. |
| | First | Sister-in-law | First Brother's wife. |
| | Second | Sister-in-law | Second Brother's wife. |
| | Third | Sister-in-law | Third Brother's wife. |
| | | | Akha - Li-yan's tribe. |
| | Li-yan | | Protagonist and Narrator. Aka: Tina Chang. |
| | San-pa | | The pancake stealer. Li-yan's first husband. |
| | Lo-san | | San-pa's father. |
| | Bah-lo | | San-pa's grandfather. |
| | Za-bah | | San-pa's great grandfather. |
| | Ci-do | | Ci-teh's brother. |
| | Deh-ja | | Ci-do's wife. |
| 3 | Zhang | | Li-yan's teacher. |
| | Mao | Ze Dong | The founding father of the Republic of China. |
| | Lu | Xun | A writer. |
| | | | Part II |
| 4 | Leo | Tolstoy | A Russian writer. |
| | Fyodor | Dostoevsky | A Russian novelist. |
| | Law | Ba | Li-yan's friend who lives in Bamboo Forest Village. |
| | Huang | Benyu | Tea master Sun's friend. A businessman. |
| | Xian-rong | | Huang benyu's son. |
| | Wu | | A tea master. |
| | Lu | Yu | The greatest tea master. |
| 6 | Yan-Yeh | | Li-yan and San-pa's daughter. Aka: Haley Davis. |
| | Zhou | Shue-ling | The director in Menghai Social Welfare Institute. |
| 7 | Roger | Siegel | A medical doctor at Mattel Children's Hospital in UCLA. |
| | Sheldon | Katz | Haley Davis's doctor. |
| | Constance | Davis | Adoptive mother of Yan-yeh. |
| | Dan | Davis | Adoptive father of Yan-yeh. |
| 8 | Wife-of-ah-joe | | Li-yan's friend. |
| | Wife-of-shaw | Kah | Li-yan's friend. |
| | | | Part III |
| | Mrs. | Johnson | Haley Davis's teacher. |
| 10 | Guo | | Li-yan's teacher. |
| | Sun | | A tea master. |
| | Miss | Henderson | Haley Davis's teacher. |
| 11 | Jade | | Haley Davis's friend. |
| | Jasmine | | Haley Davis's friend. |
| 12 | Mrs. | Chang | A high school English teacher. |
| | Nixon | | The U.S. President. |
| | Jin | Chang | Mrs. Chang's son. Li-yan's 2nd husband. |
| | Mr. | Lin | Li-yan's regular tea customer. |
| | Mr. | Chow | Li-yan's regular tea customer. |
| | Mr. | Kwan | Li-yan's regular tea customer. |
| | | | Part IV |
| 13 | Xian | Rong | Mr. Huang's son. |
| | Zhang | Yin | The richest person in China. |
| | Mr. | Kelly | Haley Davis's American history teacher. |
| | Thomas | Lipton | A grocery store owner. Owner of Lipton tea. |
| 14 | Rosie | Ng | Li-yan and Jin Chang's neighbor. |
| 15 | A-poe-mi-yeh | | The Akha's Supreme God. |
| | Dr. Arnold | Rosen | A psychological therapist from Chines adoptees. |
| | Heidi | | One of the Chines adoptees. |
| | Tiffany | | One of the Chines adoptees. |
| | Jessica | | One of the Chines adoptees. |
| | Paul William | Chang | Li-yan and Jin Chang's son. Aka: Jin-ba. |
| | | | Part V |
| 16 | Adam | Bowen | Alice Bowen's husband. |
| | Alice | Bowen | Adam Bowen's wife. |
| | Amy | Bowen | Alice and Adam's adoptive daughter. |
| 17 | Addison | | Jin-ba's classmate. |
| | Annabeth | Ho | Haley Davis's thesis adviser. |
| | Dominic | Ng | CEO of Eastwest Bank. |
| | Peggy | Cherng | CEO of Panda Express. |
| | Andrew | Cherng | Husband of Peggy Cherng. |
| | Sean | Wong | A man to whom Haley shows her tea cake. |
| | Mr. | Piu | An owner of a tea plantation. |
