Around 16:00 on October 10, a regular workday following the National Day holiday, the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar was still bustling with visitors. At the entrance of the newly popular check-in spot, known as the "queue king" and nicknamed "Xingbazha," Tan from Tianjin, pulling a light blue suitcase, had just finished a half-hour wait and finally stepped into the Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store. Tan had landed at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport that day and taken the subway straight there.

Why would Tan, who has Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) near his home and office, make a special trip to "Xingbazha"? "Because it's an intangible cultural heritage flagship store. I saw videos online—the atmosphere and cultural products are very unique. I had to come," Tan said. This "Xingbazha" does not yet offer online ordering and only supports in-store purchases. To ensure a better experience, staff let customers in only every ten minutes or so. During the National Day holiday, many tourists waited in line for one to two hours to get in.

A National Day holiday travel consumption review released by Tongcheng Travel on October 7 showed that Urumqi ranked first among long-haul travel destinations nationwide. Nowadays, tourists coming to Xinjiang are not only interested in natural scenery; they are equally curious about local daily life, and the intangible cultural heritage at "Xingbazha" perfectly captures that interest.

After entering, Tan headed straight for the "Xingbazha" cultural products area and felt a bit disappointed: "It's so popular that most Xinjiang-exclusive cups and fridge magnets are sold out. Only a little bear card holder wearing an Ikat silk dress is left—I have to buy two as gifts." With that, Tan walked to the ordering area and ordered a cup of salty milk tea with milk skin flavor.

"When I first saw the three characters 'Xingbazha,' I thought it wasn't Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). Then I looked again—wow, Starbucks came to Xinjiang and renamed itself 'Xingbazha.' Interesting!" said Miao Shuyu, a tourist from Shenzhen. He runs a foreign trade business and has visited Xinjiang almost every year for the past decade. "I've also been to the livestock bazaar in southern Xinjiang. Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) played this 'localization' well—it grabs you immediately. I queued and came in just because of the name," he said.

The ceiling of the "Xingbazha" ordering area looks much like a bazaar in southern Xinjiang—Ikat silk fabrics layered at different heights, with patterns accented by beads, sequins, and gold threads. On the second floor, there is a transparent platform where song and dance performances are held daily; when there is no performance, an interesting curtain covers the second-floor platform. Looking closely, the dark brown curtain outlines a Meshrep scene with lines: the containers that originally held melons and fruits are filled with coffee beans, and the trees beside the dancers have also become coffee trees. Seeing a customer taking photos, a staff member proactively explained: "Meshrep is intangible cultural heritage—it's when everyone gathers together, some play instruments, and some sing and dance."

After getting the milk tea, Tan found a seat and struck up a conversation with a Korean tourist nearby. "We went to Kanas and Hemu. Xinjiang's autumn is so beautiful, with rich colors—you must go," said Mr. Ju from Seoul, South Korea. He and his friend work in Shanghai and made a special trip to Xinjiang during the National Day holiday. "This Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) in Xinjiang is very special. The building is beautiful, as if it wants to give customers a feeling of being immersed in ancient Xinjiang."

Store staff said that after the National Day holiday, those arriving before 9 a.m. are basically tourists, while local customers increase during lunch breaks and after work. Liu Yitong, a Xinjiang girl working in Chengdu, came to "Xingbazha" with her sister, children, and mother—three generations of the family. "Major well-known brands have successively landed in Xinjiang, proving that our Xinjiang is developing better and better. I am proud of my hometown," she said.

On October 5, tourists lined up in an orderly manner in front of the Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store.

The store was crowded, so Getty, a tourist from Beijing, shared a table with Aliya Tayier, a Xinjiang girl. Getty really liked the Ikat-patterned shirt Aliya was wearing. Aliya opened a mobile map and found the nearest Jinquan Mall for Getty. "Go here, have an Ikat silk dress made, then go to southern Xinjiang—your photos will definitely look better," Aliya said.

Getty said that before entering "Xingbazha," what attracted her most were the beautiful cultural products people shared on Xiaohongshu; after walking in, the staff member's expressive eyes made her keep looking, and while sharing a table she met Aliya. "I've been in Xinjiang for seven days, and I've already felt Xinjiang's warmth and openness. Walking into 'Xingbazha,' that impression deepened—warm and harmonious, really great."