It's all about the eating

It may come as a surprise, but coffee has been one of the city's biggest draws over the past two years. Tang Weiyi, a visitor from Chengdu and a dedicated coffee fan, took high-speed trains to Guiyang twice just to try its coffee and even brought a cup back on the return trip.

He said he had heard that the business owner of Guiyang brand coffee Captain George won an international contest. That shop was his first stop on the trip.

Long lines form at the best cafes. A staff member at one of Captain George's outlets said peak wait times reach one or two hours for a sought-after cup of brew.

Another brand, SeekSeeking cafe, has 10 outlets across the city. They sold around 3,000 cups per day on average during this year's National Day holiday, local media reported.

Part of the appeal is the ritual. Coffee is sometimes served in a goblet topped with a woody aromatic foam and finished off with a citrus peel.

After visiting three cafes one day, Tang said Guiyang's coffee "definitely feels different".

"Each shop has its own character. They don't feel interchangeable. The orange-flavored specialty left the biggest impression."

Guiyang has about 6 million permanent residents and more than 3,000 registered cafes. That is roughly one cafe per 2,000 people, compared with one per 3,000 in Shanghai. This gives the city one of the country's highest cafe densities, and the figure has continued to rise, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Local baristas dig deep into niche competitions such as roasting, brewing, latte art, espresso, cupping and creative coffee. Each shop stakes out its own specialty.

"Local flavor, a relaxed vibe, youthfulness and new ways to play are Guiyang's four keys," said Long Cong, vice-mayor.

From street snacks to meticulously crafted specialty coffee, Guiyang is building a layered, youthful food ecosystem that increasingly draws visitors who come mainly to eat.