Shanghai (AFP) – In a dimly lit Shanghai bar, Helen Zhao has her pulse taken. This is essential information so that the bartender can prepare a personalized cocktail for this student, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.

Published on: 02/13/2026 - 2:39 p.m.

This type of establishment has multiplied in several cities, riding on a trend that young Chinese ironically call "the punk lifestyle" - or the art of indulging in excess while compensating for it with restorative care.

At the "Niang Qing" bar in Shanghai, a doctor in a white coat diagnoses customers' health based on their pulse. Then a bartender expert in cocktail making creates tailor-made drinks for them, incorporating herbs and roots of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) into the alcohol.

Here, there are no shelves filled with alcohol: the walls are lined with apothecary drawers filled with ingredients like goji berries or angelica roots, whose scents permeate the room.

“This bar, in fact, is an opportunity for me” to monitor my health, confides Helen Zhao, 26, who says she has a “typical young people” lifestyle, made up of nightlife and junk food.

“Basically, I like to have a drink after work. Here, I can at the same time check if I have a physical problem, while trying to convince myself” that these drinks are good for the body, she explains.

For the bar's official doctor, Doctor Ding, the concept is not as paradoxical as it seems.

“The combination of Chinese medicine and alcohol has a long history in TCM. We used to talk about medicinal wine,” he says.

However, he clarifies that the bar aims more to raise health awareness than to offer treatment.

“Reduce the damage”

The Chinese labor market is particularly intense and the “996” culture (i.e. working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) remains widespread.

In recent years, cases of young employees presumed to have died of exhaustion have circulated online, fueling debate over mental and physical health.

In the "Niang Qing" bar, Cici Song, 41, a service sector executive, says that "late nights are the only real moments that you can devote fully to yourself."

“But at the same time, we want to take care of our body,” she adds, sipping an amber drink supposed to improve her fragile constitution, just diagnosed by the bar’s doctor.

“It’s a form of balance, you have to have fun while trying to reduce the damage,” she jokes.

The formula seems to appeal.

Founded last year by students from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, "Niang Qing" already has five establishments in China.

“We found that many young people are interested in TCM, but the ways to discover it are sometimes boring,” explains Wu Siyuan, the co-founder, aged 22.

The bar was created to allow people to discover traditional medicine “through entertainment”, he emphasizes.

Become Chinese

More broadly, young Chinese have a growing interest in products that reinvent traditional culture with contemporary codes.

TCM, in particular, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity globally.

On TikTok, the “Becoming Chinese” trend, which consists of adopting the Chinese way of living and treating oneself, has been all the rage in recent weeks.

She sees foreign Internet users preparing herbal infusions, drinking hot water or practicing traditional physical exercises. A phenomenon which has already accumulated hundreds of thousands of “likes”.

“Niang Qing” is also attracting a growing number of foreign customers, according to its founder.

This success is part of a shift in consumption patterns in China, which are becoming more focused on the customer experience rather than material goods.

“Young people are under great pressure and need new spaces to relax,” underlines Hua Hui, professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

“This is precisely what traditional medicine bars offer: a new opportunity to meet people and gain well-being, adapted to the spirit of the times.”

© 2026 AFP

The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.