Dilnar Akbar, Mardan's wife, said she is no longer surprised to see 70-something locals ordering coffee instead of tea.

"They told me that the decor in Kashgar Corner reminds them of the old times, and they find the aroma of the coffee quite alluring. For them, it is always a good thing to have another place to have a chat in the afternoon," she said.

When she was 16, Dilnar left Kashgar to attend a senior high school in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, before going to a university in the northern port city of Tianjin.

During her time outside the region, she became a coffee lover. "My experiences outside Xinjiang opened my eyes. I am glad I can bring new ideas back to our city, which is thirsty for development," she said.

When Kashgar Corner opened, it was one of only two coffee shops in the Old Town, and the rival was struggling. Now there are seven establishments, according to Mardan. "Drinking coffee is no longer an exotic thing, but a part of the daily routine in the Old Town," he said.

When the COVID-19 outbreak started to spread in China earlier this year, the couple was worried that the coffee shop's business would be hit hard because the number of tourists would drop sharply. Despite their fears, local customers have helped to keep Kashgar Corner afloat.