Yunnan brewing unique blend of coffee, tradition
KUNMING — A cafe in Southwest China’s Yunnan province offers coffee lovers a unique and unforgettable experience: the opportunity to enjoy a delicious cup of joe in an ancient cave formed tens of millions of years ago.
Under stalactites decorated with colorful lights and with the sound of bubbling spring water filling the space, the cafe in the Gemstone Cave Scenic Area in Fumin county is unique as it is situated in a natural mountain cave, hundreds of meters deep.
Because of its ingenious design, the shop has become a popular place for visitors to rest, sip coffee and admire the beauty of nature.
“Opened in October 2023, our cave cafe is favored by consumers opting for more diversified and personalized experiences,” said Jin Qianqian, a barista who has been working at the shop since it went into operation.
Zhang Jian, general manager of the scenic area, said the cafe went viral on social media as soon as it opened.
Tourists from around the world, including from Japan and South Korea, have visited the spectacular karst cave to enjoy pour-over coffee and take in the awesome scenery.
Zhang said that the cafe attracts many visitors each weekend and holidays. Over 300 cups of coffee were sold every day during the Spring Festival holiday this year.
Over 30,000 people have visited the shop since its opening, and the owner is busy coming up with ways to enhance customers’ experiences.
“In the future, we plan to hold music concerts and coffee competitions in this huge cave,” Zhang said.
The cafe is just one of a slew of new coffee experiences available as part of an immersive coffee tour of Yunnan, China’s main coffee-producing region.
As the coffee industry in Yunnan now attracts global attention, coffee practitioners have been exploring innovative ways to promote coffeerelated tourism and cater to the fastgrowing population of coffee consumers in China. Coffee shops set in manors, farms, ancient architecture or on rooftops have all gained popularity among inquisitive tourists.
In Pu’er city, a coffee manor boasting an awe-inspiring mountain view is especially popular.
The manor’s coffee brewing area, roasting area and other facilities are interwoven across 20 hectares. A 60-yuan ($8.50) ticket gives visitors access to nine kinds of pour-over coffee and a hands-on experience of the whole process, from bean to cup.
Xu Yan, a tourist from Hebei province, traveled more than 2,000 kilometers to the Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu’er on a recent weekend.
At the viewing platform, Xu enjoyed the view of the drifting clouds and rolling mountains while sipping freshly brewed coffee made by baristas.
“Drinking coffee in the mountains is a unique experience, and the coffee here tastes sublime,” Xu said.
In addition to the coffee manor, Yunnan has also integrated coffee into its history.
In downtown Pu’er, historical blocks such as Daijiaxiang Street were once a choke point of the ancient north-south tea-horse trade route. Young entrepreneur Yang Fan knew that one of the century-old buildings would be the perfect venue for his cafe.
Old wooden beams, stone benches and other vintage paraphernalia can be seen everywhere in this oldfashioned cafe, which makes customers feel like they are in a traditional Chinese teahouse.
“We retained everything as before so that tourists can get a better understanding of the city’s past,” Yang explained.
The ancient dwelling is now a refurbished cafe serving quality coffee, adding cultural values to the beverage.
“Compared to common coffee shops, such a quaint and reminiscent cafe makes me feel more relaxed,” said one tourist from Kunming, capital of Yunnan, who came to Pu’er for the weekend.
The tourist added that such experiences have won the hearts of consumers, and there are more and more people walking into coffee manors and specially designed coffee shops to start their own immersive, fragrant coffee journey.