An opulent Tibetan escape in Beijing
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A display near the entrance of the Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant pays tribute to the role of yak hair in making Tibetan cloth. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com] |
For many people, Tibet is a land shrouded in mystery and tradition. Because of its location in China's extreme west, everything from Tibetan food to decorations, clothing, and traditions differ from those of eastern China. But enthusiasts do not have to go West to experience the culture. The Tibetan chain restaurant, Makye Ame, aims to bring a little bit of Tibet's allure to Beijing.
Makye Ame has two branches in Beijing. One branch, near Silk Street, relates the style of common Tibetan homes; but the Tuanjiehu branch is a lesson in Tibetan opulence. Decorated in royal Tibetan style, the restaurant's large, stuffed couches, intricately carved and painted walls, displays of curiosities shipped in from the autonomous region, and beautifully-costumed Tibetan staff members create an authentically rich Tibetan atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Beijing.
The deep yellow hue that sets the tone for the restaurant's décor also relates the restaurant's history. Makye Ame's first restaurant in Lhasa, Tibet, is in a yellow building, while all the surrounding buildings are painted stark white.
"In Tibet, only the houses built for religious purposes and the houses used by the Dalai Lama can be painted yellow," Mu De Jing, the restaurant's deputy general manager, said.
The yellow building was once a bar frequented by the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso. There, he met a beautiful woman who inspired the Dalai Lama's poem, "Makye Ame" ("Pure Lady"). He never saw the woman again, but the building and its story are the basis for the modern Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant chain.
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