Yau Wan Kong, a 30-year-old Hongkonger who owns a cafe in Lhasa, has been welcoming back a steady stream of regular customers since his business reopened two weeks ago.

Yau, who manages the Spinn Cafeto with friends from Thailand, said he had closed up shop for 11 days due to the unrest on March 14.

The cafe, with its bright red sofa and shelves lined with Tibetan books, was a popular destination for travelers from Hong Kong and beyond. Before the unrest, it was generally open from 10 am to midnight, but Yau shortened the hours to 2 pm until 11 pm after the city was rocked by riots.