Commercial street brings exotic twist to Shenyang in NE China

Another five pop-up stores present in the street are indigenous brands. They are Half Half, Mooki and Friends, Pan Pan Roll, RiShine Miles, and Shanhai Teahouse.

"As a Shenyang native brand, we are committed to promote local culture and youth culture," said Chen Xi, a co-founder of Shanhai Teahouse. "We wish to capitalize on 37 Lounge to introduce traditional Chinese tea culture to more young consumers and bring Shanhai into their view."

"Tea culture is typical of Chinese culture, which is inclusive," she said. "By combining innovative tea drinks and aesthetic spaces, we hope to create an immersive experience model that covers tea drinking, shopping, and exchanges in tea culture.

"In this way, we hope to change young people's stereotyped impression of tea and have drinking tea gain acceptance as a new option for their modern lifestyle."

Zhang Shengjun, an operator of Mooki and Friends, said the street's style dovetails perfectly with that of his cafe.

Mooki and Friends is a cafe of which being handmade is the hallmark, ranging from pull-over coffee to the selection of coffee beans and the making of syrup and jam, as well as coffee and dessert paring, according to Zhang. "Perhaps not everything can be perfect, but our guests can feel the sincerity of our hospitality," he noted. "A concept of being at home, that is my goal and distinguishes us from our peers."

Xiao Xia, a photographer who is also the operator of RiShine Miles cafe, said she is amazed at the visitor flow to the street.

The current flow of visitors to the RiShine Miles pop-up store is equivalent to that of the cafe's other outlets after one or two years of operation, Xiao said. "The revenue these days has exceeded my expectations."