A stroll down Sanlitun on a Friday night tends to leave a slightly blurred impression on the memory for more than one reason. One bar blends almost seamlessly with another in a numbing series of mediocre drinking dens devoted almost entirely to taking your money. Tucked away in a shabby corner of Dongzhimen, on the other hand, the One Nine Bar is the fruit of a true labor of love, and one of the few Beijing nightspots where the environment may be as stimulating as the drinks. It combines the features of a bar with those of an art gallery that opens a window onto aspects of Tibetan culture that are probably unfamiliar to most people.

Alongside totems and masks from Tibetan temples and Buddhist rituals hang examples of the skulls and horns of Tibetan yaks and argali that have served as objects of household worship for millennia. Some have been transformed by craftsmen and glitter with silver inlays and colored stones; others have been left for time and the elements to mold.

The One Nine Bar is the brainchild of Wang Yi and Liu Jue, who met in 1992 when the latter was staging an exhibition at the Beijing Central Art Academy. Liu has been traveling to and from Tibet for many years, collecting cultural relics and art works. He is especially fascinated by the aspects of Tibetan culture that pre-date the arrival of Buddhism. "A lot of people think Tibet is just about Buddhism," he says, "but there's much more to explore, such as its wildlife and the culture that derives from this."

Keen to find a way to bring this culture to the attention of more people, the two friends dreamed up the One Nine concept as a means of providing a permanent exhibition space for part of Liu's collection, and as a forum for discussion about Tibet. "The main purpose of the bar is to let people know about Tibet," says Wang. "It's like a salon for people to come and talk."

They plan to introduce customers to Tibetan music and show video documentaries about Tibet and its culture. These cultural entrepreneurs display a refreshing lack of cynicism. To enthuse their guests with their passion for knowledge comes ahead of making money.

"It's not just a matter of giving the customers what they want," says Liu. "They don't know about this culture, so this is an educational exercise as well as a business."

One Nine Bar

Open: 3 pm - 4 am seven days a week

Add: Dongzhimen Beixiaojie, about 150 meters north of Dongzhimen Neidajie