A red ribbon-shaped hand holding a cup of tea greets visitors of the Dangqun Teahouse in Thangoche Village, Qiongjie County in Tibet Autonomous Region. The logo represents the establishment’s dual functions—serving tea and connecting villagers by engaging them in the governance of local affairs. In other words, it’s a teahouse as well as an informal villager assembly hall.
Multifunctional constructions
The teahouse began to welcome patrons on January 7, 2022, becoming the first assembly hall-style teahouse in Qiongjie, which falls under the jurisdiction of Shannan City. Last year, the county invested 3 million yuan ($425,387) in the building of six Dangqun teahouses in different villages. Upon completion of construction, they were then handed to the villagers to manage them. Any villager can invest in this type of establishment.
Take the teahouse in Thangoche, for example. Sixty households
