Besides food, the restaurant creates an authentic atmosphere by displaying wooden sculptures imported from Africa and organizing an "African night" once a month with performances by African singers and dancers. Recently, it managed to invite two Tinga Tinga artists from Tanzania to present their work, Zhang said.

Of his guests, the manager said, most are diplomats, businessmen, officials and tourists. Before embarking on visits to Africa, Some Chinese come to the restaurant for a cultural experience and then relive their travels by coming again after they return home.

Not only Chinese, but also foreigners, especially Africans, frequent the restaurant. One of them is Mwenebatende Kaleshi, a native from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who is now studying at Beijing Jiaotong University.

"Every time I come to Pilipili, I feel like coming back home." He said the Swahili language printed on the wall, which is his native tongue, aroused his nostalgia.

Kaleshi, who is majoring in civil engineering, said, "I came to China to learn that major because many Chinese construction companies are carrying out projects in Africa, and their technology is widely appreciated there."

Some 29,000 African students were studying in China by the end of September 2007, according to statistics from the Chinese Education Ministry.

Pilipili also serves as the venue of the biannual charity sales by the corps of wives of African ambassadors to China who bring along with them self-made African food, Zhang, the manager said.

As relations between China and Africa become closer, more and more Chinese are interested in Africa, said Xu Bo, general manager of Beijing Pilipili Culture Communication Co. Ltd.

"I think the Pilipili restaurant would serve as a platform for Chinese to better know Africa and its culture," Xu added.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2008)