For zealous travelers and photographers who are keen on traveling Tibet, it is a place where they could relieve the pains for missing Tibet, while for the white-collar, it seems to be a port to shake off the tiresome work and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Homelike atmosphere
The fragrant Tibetan incense, a huge prayer wheel and delightful Tibetan song-"Places Where Girls Tread"-greeted me upon entering the cafe.

A Ji Chong, a name derived from a Tibetan ballad is the only Tibetan Cafe run by native from Lhasa who resides in Beijing, where about ten restaurants serve Tibetan fare.

Different from other Tibetan eateries, A Ji Chong forsakes the shining and luxurious decorations marked with Tibetan architectures, but prefers a more leisure and homelike style similar to the sweet tea house in Lhasa.

"We wanna to make diners feel at home. A home that is not necessarily magnificent but comfortable enough to dine in," said Gongbu, brother of the owner, who helps deal with the daily affairs of the cafe.

Tibetan waiters and waitress of the A Ji Chong Tibetan Cafe, photo by Mirenda from CTIC, June 20, 2010.

Household articles colleted from rural Tibetans such as water vat, porcelain pot used for serving butter tea and highland barley wine are decorated on the second floor, making people wonder whether they are in Beijing or somewhere in Tibet. However, to everyone's curiosity, all the decorations, desks and chairs look timeworn.

"Most of them are bought from local households in Shigtase, Lhasa, Nagri and Nagqu prefectures. Dated as they are, they are more convincing to show diners the real life of Tibetans, especially the rural people," Gongbu explained.

"Our waiters and waitresses are from Tibet too. They can speak fluent Mandarin to better serve customers in Beijing," Gongbu said with much pride.