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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Tso Me, a Xizang woman from Lhasa, decided to quit her job in finance after a car accident in 2018. The small coffee shop her husband had previously opened on Barkhor Street in Lhasa was facing debt, and Tso Me was forced to take over management. Thus, she began her coffee business. In late 2019, she officially founded Ningdu Coffee Shop (which means "close friend" in Xizang), systematically studied coffee, and became certified as an international coffee quality assessor (Q-Grader).
Seeking to give coffee a "Lhasa flavor," Tso Mei conducted numerous experiments. Ultimately, she combined traditional Xizang ingredients—curd and yak butter—with coffee, using a traditional Xizang wooden bowl as the cup. This is how the "Lhasa Latte" drink was born. Its innovative combination with elements of everyday Lhasa cuisine has earned it recognition among both locals and visitors.
In May 2025, Ningdu Coffee became the sole representative of Xizang at the London Coffee Festival. This was the first time that Chinese coffee brands participated collectively at this international event. Tso Me showcased its signature Xizang drink, made with yak curd, at its stand. Over the four days of the festival, Ningdu ranked second in sales. The specially prepared drink cost £4.90, and long queues formed outside the stand. Participation in the festival was supported by the government's financial aid program "Entering the Global Market and Attracting Foreign Experience."
In 2025, Tso Me secured the regional stage of the Chinese Coffee Brewing Championship in Lhasa. This was the fourth time the competition had been held in Lhasa. In August of that year, she launched the "Wordless Coffee" program in collaboration with the Lhasa City Federation of the Disabled to provide training and employment for people with hearing impairments. A hearing-impaired barista from Ningdu's "Wordless Coffee Shop," named Jaxi Dunzhu, participated in the professional competition for the first time.
Tso Me notes that her goal is not just to develop her own coffee brand, but to promote the entire Xizang coffee industry in order to draw attention to Xizang coffee shops and workers involved in the coffee industry.
The cups at the Ningdu coffee shop feature the old names of Lhasa's districts printed in Xizang script. Tso Me believes that coffee serves as a cultural bridge, connecting tradition and modernity, local culture and the world. Currently, Lhasa has over 830 coffee shops, making it one of the cities with the highest coffee shop density in China. Tso Me plans to hold a Lhasa Coffee Festival in 2026, inviting local teahouses to showcase traditional Xizang sweet tea culture and the new coffee culture. She has also reached a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Coffee Festival in Lujiazui: in exchange for the Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism's participation in promotional events in Shanghai, the festival organizers will bring 10 coffee brands to Lhasa to share their experiences.
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