Go and get a cup of coffee

Neighborhood cafe provides a sanctuary for devotees of traditional Chinese board game

Tucked away on the second floor of a Starbucks along Zhongtan Road in central Shanghai lies an unexpected hub for the game of Go. Where other branches see patrons tapping away at laptops or chatting over coffee, here rows of tables are filled with people intently focused on the Go boards before them. Here, among the rich aroma of coffee, players from multiple countries are engrossed in friendly competition.

While parks and chess rooms have long served as gathering places for devotees of the board game in China, this neighborhood branch of the coffee shop chain from the United States in Shanghai's downtown Putuo district has become an unlikely setting for them. It began simply when a group of local enthusiasts started meeting casually at the venue to play Go a few evenings a week.

"Initially, there were just a few people. We were familiar with each other and lived nearby," recalls Huang Yingxiang, a Go coach who helped establish this informal club.