Coffee culture reigns in Yunnan's Pu'er

KUNMING — As the coffee harvesting season arrives, Pu'er city in Yunnan province, known as China's coffee capital, is alive with the aroma of fresh brews. With coffee-themed manors, streets and cultural fairs, it has become a hot spot for enthusiasts and tourists alike.

Located along the Tropic of Cancer, a prime coffee-growing belt, Pu'er is a leading producer of the bean in China. It produced 58,000 metric tons of raw coffee in the 2023-24 harvesting season, ranking first in China.

Nestled amid verdant hills, Elephant Coffee Manor captivates with not only its exceptional brews but also its picturesque surroundings.

Visitors can sip coffee while watching wild Asian elephants roam freely in their natural habitat.

"It's breathtaking to sit here with a cup of coffee and watch elephants foraging on the hillside. It's unforgettable," says Huang Daxiang, an investor in the manor.

Ma Li, a visitor from Shanghai, immerses herself in the art of coffee fruit picking, gaining insights into the complete journey from cultivation and roasting to brewing.

"It was a very rewarding experience," she says.

The manor also provides interactive experiences, such as crafting coffee soap and making coffee bean beads, inviting guests to explore diverse facets of coffee culture.

There are more than 20 premium coffee manors in Pu'er, which integrate coffee culture and tourism, including five listed as provincial-level coffee manors.

Lou Yuqiang, an associate researcher at the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, says promoting coffee manors in Yunnan is a positive step toward development and will help extend the coffee chain.

In addition to manors, Pu'er has been hosting coffee-themed fairs and other events, displaying local and national brands and featuring cultural performances.

Tourist Zhang Xuanyu attended a coffee-themed fair as a side event of an international coffee brewing competition held in the Dai-Lahu-Va autonomous county of Menglian in February.

"I tried various flavors at the fair and met coffee lovers from all over the world. It was a great learning experience," says Zhang, from Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

Over the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, spanning from late January to early February, Pu'er witnessed a 13.71 percent year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals, totaling 3.25 million. Tourism revenues rose by 13.21 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 3.44 billion yuan ($475 million).

"The integration of coffee and tourism has become a new hallmark of the tourism industry of Pu'er," says Zhang Qiying, deputy director of the city's culture and tourism bureau.

Xinhua