A cup that connects cultures

Aromas of coffee beans draw passersby in, who stop to savor freshly brewed pour-over coffee, chat with vendors about origins and flavors, and pick out their favorite beans to take home.

These booths showcase coffee beans from Yunnan province in Southwest China, Greece, Ethiopia, Vietnam and beyond, inviting visitors to explore a world of flavors at a coffee fair, at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

"Yunnan coffee offers a rich, smooth and strong flavor. I'd love to try this local brand and brew my own cup. Compared with before, more young Chinese are drinking coffee," says Natasa Radosavljevic Gaberova from Serbia, a professor at the university. She purchased coffee beans from Yunnan's Pu'er city, which is known as the origin of Pu'er tea and considered by many as China's coffee capital.

The coffee fair is part of the international cultural exchange activity "From Yunnan to the World: A Blend of Cultures in a Coffee Cup" held on Tuesday at the university.

At the event, keynote speakers from home and abroad shared their personal stories related to Yunnan coffee, talked about the development of the coffee sector in Yunnan, how Yunnan coffee has stepped onto the global stage, and discussed how coffee serves as a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.

The event was jointly organized by the China Daily Culture Channel, Pu'er city, and the School of International Journalism and Communication of Beijing Foreign Studies University.

"Pu'er is transforming from a green coffee bean supplier for international brands into a coffee tourism destination. Today, many people visit Pu'er purely for a cup of quality coffee and to dive deep into coffee culture. Meanwhile, local coffee farmers are becoming more brand-focused and shifting to specialty coffee," says Yang Hongjian, owner of Coffee Plantation of River Valley in Dakaihe village, Pu'er.

The plantation has embarked on a development path that integrates agriculture, culture and tourism with ecological sustainability. Many visitors are drawn to its coffee workshop featuring the full bean-to-cup process, including picking fresh coffee cherries and learning about processing methods.

Five years ago, Yang cofounded a platform recruiting coffee lovers as volunteers at coffee plantations in Yunnan, where they gain in-depth knowledge of coffee farming and learn professional skills through working in the various processing stages.

"Volunteers live and eat with local farmers, and they have helped us promote Yunnan coffee, turning many people into coffee fans," Yang says.

In 2023, Shanghai-based MQ Coffee, one of the leading brands nationwide, launched an intensive processing production line in Gaixin village, Lancang Lahu autonomous county in Pu'er. All processes, from purchasing fresh coffee cherries, drying and hulling to roasting and packaging, are completed locally.

The initiative has helped coffee farmers secure stable sales channels and improve their income, thanks to the collaboration between Shanghai and Yunnan.

It was a result of the nation's East-West cooperation plan initiated by the central government in the 1990s, aimed at narrowing regional disparities and promoting balanced economic development across the country. The framework encourages cooperation between the more economically developed eastern regions and the less developed western regions.

"This is more than just installing equipment. It is a promise: the coffee from this land deserves to be taken seriously," says Tu Weicheng, CEO of MQ Coffee.

The company's team has invited agricultural experts to train local villagers in scientific cultivation. They have learned to remove diseased and weak branches to encourage new growth, thereby reviving sick coffee trees and boosting yields.

Alan He, deputy general manager of Greater China at Trung Nguyen Legend Group Corporation, a major coffee producer from Vietnam, says that customers can "adopt a Yunnan coffee tree" at their chain stores across China. After one year, customers will receive the coffee beans harvested from their tree, or redeem them for coffee at the shops. Online, they can watch the tree grow and be picked, like raising a virtual pet.

The initiative is part of the Shanghai-Yunnan partnership. "It moves from selling coffee beans to building brands and creating experiences, securing income in advance and ensuring coffee farmers' hard work is respected. The prepaid cards help bring customers to coffee shops and promote Yunnan coffee," he says.

Hendy Yuniarto, an Indonesian lecturer at Beijing Foreign Studies University, discussed his trip to a coffee plantation in Pu'er in 2022 in his speech. There, he gained more knowledge about coffee, as well as how to taste and evaluate coffee flavors.

He says drinking coffee is no longer merely a symbol of urban life in China, nor just a pick-me-up for office workers. It has become a part of daily life for the general public.

Xu Li, wife of the current Greek ambassador to China, Evgenios Kalpyris, agrees. Having witnessed the development of China's coffee industry over the past three decades, she has seen firsthand its remarkably rapid growth, diverse offerings, and widespread popularity, as well as the increasing number of domestic chain cafes and specialty coffee shops across the country.

Gabriel Moreti, a partner at Global Agribusiness Opportunities, a Brazilian company in China, says tastes differ between nationalities. "Brazilian coffee drinkers typically prefer it black and unsweetened, while Chinese consumers like coffee with different added flavors. I'm an espresso lover, but I drink coconut milk lattes sometimes," he says.

He adds that China can learn from Brazil's high-yield, sustainable coffee farm management, while Brazil can learn from China's coffee branding expertise.