China’s new trend is mixing liquor with mysticism

Young Chinese people are flocking to bars that offer alcohol with a side of spirituality. Tapping into a Gen Z fascination with future-gazing practices such as astrology and tarot, “spiritual bars” with names like Sip of Oracle have sprung up in cities from Beijing to Chengdu. They not only serve cocktails based on the elements in Daoist philosophy, but also offer pulse diagnoses, a traditional Chinese medicine technique, and I Ching readings that see drinkers toss three coins to form a hexagram, each yielding specific meanings.

The bars appeal to a stressed-out generation desperate for signs about their lives, Radii wrote: “For young Chinese facing high unemployment and uncertain futures, a positive reading can be a soothing balm.”