- Customers in Shanghai can order cocktails based on Traditional Chinese Medicine health checks
- Niang Qing Bar uses pulse diagnosis to customize drinks with herbs and roots
- The bar aims to help young people manage stress and maintain health despite busy lives
In a busy city where young people work long hours and face constant pressure, a new kind of bar is offering something different. In Shanghai, customers can now order a cocktail that begins with a health check based on traditional Chinese medicine, reported the South China Morning Post.
In a dimly lit bar in Shanghai, postgraduate student Helen Zhao extends both her wrists to have her pulse checked. This is the prelude to ordering a special "health" cocktail inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Such "TCM bars" have sprung up in several Chinese cities, reflecting the "punk wellness" philosophy popular among young people struggling with stress and time constraints: striving to maintain their health even while exerting themselves.
At Shanghai's Niang Qing Bar, TCM doctors in white coats assess customers' health by checking their pulses. A mixologist then creates custom drinks using pre-selected herbs and roots. Instead of liquor shelves, medicinal drawers line the walls, stocking items like goji berries and angelica root, their aroma permeating the air.
26-year-old Zhao says this place is an opportunity for her. She describes her life as typical of a typical youth, which includes staying up late and eating fast food. She says she enjoys having a drink after work, as it allows her to casually check her health and maintain a sense of hope.
The bar's TCM expert, Ding, explains that the combination of Chinese medicine and alcohol is not new. According to him, it has a long history in TCM and was previously known as "medicinal wine." He clarifies that the bar's purpose is not to treat, but to raise awareness about health.
