Brewing success from the bean

Follow the rich aroma of coffee in Yunnan province. It drifts through ancient town alleys, mingles with mist under waterfalls, lingers at the foot of snowcapped mountains, and weaves through food markets and ancient architecture, where specialty coffeehouses have become ubiquitous.

Today, Yunnan's coffee industry has evolved from producing commodity beans to building its own specialty coffee brands, thanks to years of collaboration among local government, growers, entrepreneurs and research institutions.

With a planting history of over 130 years, Yunnan coffee is also gaining popularity in the global market. Official data showed that in 2025, Yunnan coffee was exported to 43 countries and regions, with new markets like Kyrgyzstan and Slovenia.

Last year, the province's coffee planting area reached 97,533 hectares, up 15.4 percent year-on-year, green bean output hit 138,900 metric tons, up 16.9 percent, and agricultural output value surged 77.8 percent to 8.66 billion yuan ($1.26 billion). All three metrics ranked first in China.

"Yunnan coffee, cultivated early and with exceptional quality, carries a distinct historical charm … Over the years, we have established a high-standard industrial chain system," says Wang Ning, secretary of the Communist Party of China Yunnan Provincial Committee and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Yunnan has independently selected and bred 22 coffee varieties, including disease-resistant and high-yielding homegrown varieties with excellent flavors.