Zhang Zhen, a Xi′an girl who invited French President and his wife to drunk coffee on January 8, said that she felt rather surprised for French President Macron stayed a coffee shop ‘Café de la tour’ for 10 minutes.

This coffee shop possessed the private time of President.

Yesterday, the reporter find this coffee shop, lying in Huajue Alley at the north side of the Drum Tower. Besides, Zhang Zhen started to work in there since 2013 when the opening of this shop.  

According to Zhangzhen, this shop, jointly invested by Xi′an natives studying in France, gains popularity between foreign people in Shaanxi, especially French, for they always come to this shop to drink and chat, exchanging cultures though coffee.

Zhang Zhen excitedly recalled that Macron and his wife came to the coffee shop and shook hands with her after visiting Great Mosque of Xi′an.

Zhang Zhen said that Macron is extremely easy-going for he viewed some French pictures in the shop and asked some questions about this shop. She also suggested that if more time had been given, a better communication would have been realized.

Moreover, this shop becomes a instant online celebrity for it once received some politicians from Malaysia, Germany, New Zealand and other countries.

Zhang Zhen made preparations for the visit of the President.

Yesterday, during the interview, the reporter came across two regular customers in the shop.

The flavor of coffee left a deep impression on Zhu Wenxuan, coming from Xijiang, when she first came to this shop during her first trip to Xi′an. And then she entered Shaanxi Normal University for her favourable impression on Xi′an.

“It is the profound history which attracted me to come to Xi′an.” Zhu Wenxuan said. Furthermore, in the wake of the coming of President, she came to this shop again with her classmates.

According to Zhang Zhen, she has made preparations for this visit for a long time for the French sign ‘Café de la tour’ in Huajue Alley which is the best route to Great Mosque of Xi′an when tourists came to Moslem Street was likely to absorb the attention of President. 

Since half a year ago that she knew Macron would have a visit in China, she had a steadfast belief to learn French. Besides, after Macron came to Xi′an, she also invited a college student to write a invitation posted on the door.

The reason why Zhang Zhen made such preparations is the desire that make this shop become more prevalent among Xi′an natives, becoming internationalization though the media.

Extensive reading

There are over 1000 coffee shops in Xi′an.

Cai Yin, the founder of a coffee shop in Xi′an University of Technology after resigning a job in a world′s top 500 enterprise, inclined to gather creative young people with enterprising spirit in Xi′an though the coffee shop. 

Reportedly, this coffee shop named “Windmill and Spear”, originated from the story of Don Quixote in which the windmill represents reality while the spear represents dream. Additionally, Huang Jianli, a young artist, also made a wall painting about this on the wall of the shop to show a story of an idealist.

“We collaborate with many outstanding teachers and entrepreneurial teams to carry on some courses about shooting, fine art and share their new works, ideas,” Cai Yin said. “We are long for make the coffee shop become a vehicle to innovate and create though the operation of our team.

According to Cai Yin, under the support of government, the environmental condition of Xi′an improved a lot, it turns out, their team developed rapidly for they have another coffee shops in Xi′an.

Wang Wei, the head of this shop, suggested that because of the fast speed of life, young people of the past nearly lost their funny souls, however, they are capable of changing this city actually, even this age. As a result, the coffee shop is a marvelous place to gather such a group of people.

It is reported that there are over 1000 coffee shops, mostly in colleges, central business districts and transport hubs, in Xi′an. In 2018, Xi′an is engaged in the effort to offer investors and entrepreneurs a relatively firm, open, and flexible platform, combining the sense of innovation and creation, science and technological resources, intellectual and financial resources and making coffee become new culture in Xi′an.