Beijing's parks, historical sites get creative

These red-bottomed blue cups bear the design of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

"One particular type of coffee suddenly sold extremely well during the holiday. We were confused at first, before finding that it was the coffee cups that were attracting customers' attention. They wanted to hold a cup and take a picture of it," Gan said.

He reported this discovery to the company, and after Spring Festival, all cups for takeaway coffee were changed to the type in demand among customers.

Yang said his shop has hired a coffee specialist to develop new drinks for each season.

For example, the flavor of the oatmilk latte is changed according to the season－in spring it tastes of plum blossom.

Yang said his team is working hard to build connections between the Temple of Heaven and the coffee house.

"A coffee house located at a heritage venue with a long history should be a pleasant addition to the site and contribute to its culture. It is vastly different from coffee chain shops," he said.

"The design of the shop, the display of artifacts and the selection of drinks should add to the attractions of the historical site," Yang said.

On the floor of his coffee store, white circles representing "heaven "are filled with red tiles depicting "earth". The golden tables resemble the roof of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

"We've been looking at every detail of the shop, and we are still improving," Yang said. "We hope our efforts will help make the heritage site more vibrant and that people can appreciate the relics in a number of ways."