潮起滇池 咖随风来 The tide rises and the coffee in Dianchi Lake comes with the wind

In August, by the banks of Dianchi Lake, coffee is fragrant and lively. Over a period of 9 days, with more than 20 unique activities and over 80 exciting performances, the eastern and western banks of Dianchi Lake have merged for the first time. Coffee and music are striking together, bringing together baristas and coffee enthusiasts from home and abroad. They come here because of "coffee" and gather for "coffee".

As a "phenomenal IP" in Kunming's cultural and tourism industry, the 2025 Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival has proposed a new concept of "enjoying the east coast and having fun on the west coast" for the first time. The East Coast focuses on four dimensions: "with the world, with art, with land, and with life", creating a "Kunming Art and Culture Highland"; The West Bank focuses on "and the future" as the core, building a young consumer field. This grand event, inspired by coffee, connects the romance and vitality of the city, attracting guests from all over the world to gather by the banks of Dianchi Lake. It is a vivid footnote to the integration of culture and tourism in Kunming.

Using a cup of fragrance, let the world understand the 'Yunnan flavor'. The holding of this carnival is not only a wonderful presentation of Yunnan's coffee culture, but also a strong engine to promote industrial upgrading and help economic development. It helps the fragrance of "Yunnan coffee" spread further, contributes to the construction of "living in Yunnan", and depicts a true portrayal of "a life called Yunnan" to the world.

Be brave to explore and practice, and create a "phenomenal IP" for Kunming's cultural and tourism industry

From "phenomenal level out of circle" to "global upgrading", Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival is growing into Kunming's "new urban IP". More and more tourists are coming to Kunming to escape the heat and cold, enjoy flowers and mushrooms, drink tea and coffee, feed seagulls and go shopping. They stay day after day, come again and again, and "going to Kunming" is becoming "in Kunming".

Kunming does not produce coffee beans, but it has the unique genes of Chinese coffee culture. In the shadow of wutong trees on Jinbi Road, the aroma of coffee has been floating for nearly a century. The earliest coffee culture in Kunming can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. With the opening of the Yunnan Vietnam Railway, coffee entered Kunming as an imported product. In the early 1930s, Vietnamese woman Nguyen Minh Xuan opened the "Nan Lai Sheng" Western restaurant on Jinbi Road, and her signature freshly ground coffee marked the formal roots of coffee culture in Kunming. From the banks of Cuihu Lake to the historical and cultural villages along Dianchi Lake, from bustling commercial districts to bustling alleys, Kunming has gathered over 2000 coffee shops, and the "coffee flavor" along Dianchi Lake is particularly strong.

We are particularly looking forward to creating new sparks between Vietnamese beans and Yunnan beans, "said He Weibiao, the person in charge, in front of the Vietnam Zhongyuan Legend Coffee booth. And not far away, the booth of LIBAELLY, a Thai Chiang Mai brand, is also crowded with people. The brand's flagship Thai specialty beans attract many tasters to stop by. The person in charge stated that the richness of Yunnan coffee complements the fruity aroma of Southeast Asian coffee, and sees great potential for cooperation here.

In the Southeast Asian coffee culture experience tribe, Harris Hartanto, a businessman from Indonesia, brought his own coffee brand Coffeenatics. This is his first time participating in the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival. Kunming really stole my heart. It's a city with beautiful scenery and warm people. Yunnan coffee is one of the best coffees I've ever tasted, "Harris praised Kunming and Yunnan coffee endlessly.

The weather in Yunnan is very good, and wild mushrooms, small rolls of noodles, and cold rice noodles are all delicious. Especially at the event site, not only can you drink different flavors of coffee, but you can also eat different local delicacies. "Ms. Li, who came from Beijing to Yunnan for tourism, said that it was very convenient to take the free shuttle bus to the event site. She walked around many stalls in the morning, gained a deeper understanding of Yunnan's coffee and culture, and also liked Yunnan and Kunming more.

Through coffee as a medium, Kunming once again showcases its open and inclusive urban temperament to the whole country and the world. With the continuous progress and increasing popularity of the event, Kunming, as the capital city of Yunnan Province, is gradually stepping into the position of the center of China's coffee industry.

Looking back at the past, it was not easy for Yunnan coffee to "go global"

Yunnan coffee still represents China. After more than a century of development, Yunnan coffee is no longer a "niche flavor" hidden in the southwest border, but has taken up the banner of Chinese coffee going global.

Pu erh coffee, photographed by Shen Hao

Looking back at the past, Yunnan coffee has gone from being a "foreign visitor" trying to grow on the border, to being a "pillar of industry" for large-scale cultivation, and then to being a "Chinese business card" for boutique breakthroughs. Each step is engraved with the hardships and difficulties of development. Through persistent efforts, it has finally opened the door to the global market with its unique flavor.

In 1892, French missionary Tian De planted China's first coffee seedling in Zhukula Village, Binchuan, Dali, marking the beginning of the development of coffee in Yunnan. In the 1950s, in order to connect the friendship between China and the Soviet Union, Yunnan coffee began large-scale cultivation, and was sold by the foreign trade department to the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, gradually expanding the planting area. In the late 1980s, Nestle expanded into the Chinese market, the United Nations Development Programme coffee cooperation project landed in Pu'er, and foreign investment introduced advanced technology, equipment, and talent to help Yunnan build its first modern coffee factory. The development of Yunnan's coffee industry also began to enter the right track. In the 21st century, international coffee brands such as Macy's, Kraft, and Starbucks have successively entered the market, and the quality of Yunnan coffee has gradually gained world-class recognition, with its development momentum becoming increasingly strong.

Pu erh coffee farmers are picking coffee beans. Photo by Yang Zhihui

The development of Yunnan's coffee industry has not been smooth sailing. After 2011, coffee prices experienced an 8-year low period, and the industry suffered heavy losses. Many coffee farmers had no choice but to switch to other crops. But in the midst of the downturn, new hope is brewing. In recent years, the provincial party committee and government have attached great importance to it and introduced policies such as the "Six Measures for Coffee" to promote the strategy of coffee refinement. Each production area seeks development according to local conditions, Pu'er focuses on the entire industry chain, and creates an ecological product brand; Baoshan has embarked on a path of high-quality development; Lincang promotes the integration of the "coffee+" tertiary industry... The premium coffee rate in Yunnan has also increased from 8% in 2021 to 31.6% in 2024, and the quality of coffee has been significantly improved.

Nowadays, Yunnan's coffee planting area and output account for over 98% of the country's total. In 2024 alone, Yunnan's annual coffee production will reach 140000 tons, and 32500 tons of high-quality "Yunnan coffee" will be sold to 29 countries and regions around the world. From the initial introduction attempts to becoming the backbone of China's coffee industry and expanding globally, Yunnan coffee has continuously broken through difficulties and achieved a magnificent transformation over the course of more than a hundred years of development, shining brightly in the global coffee market.

Quality+Innovation ", making coffee fragrance last forever

The hosting of events such as Kunming Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival has attracted a large number of merchants and tourists. This way of deeply integrating coffee culture into tourism experience greatly enriches the connotation of living in Yunnan, allowing tourists to fully and deeply experience the diverse culture of Yunnan, and also injects new impetus into the transformation and upgrading of Yunnan's tourism industry. So, how to make Yunnan coffee transition from a "temporary fragrance" to a "generational fragrance"?

Improving quality has always been the core task for the long-term development of Yunnan's coffee industry. In terms of variety cultivation and promotion, it is necessary to further increase efforts and expand the planting scale of independent high-quality varieties such as "Yun 2". The cup test score of "Yunka No.2" has reached 86.75 points, successfully entering the ranks of global premium coffee, and the yield of dry beans per mu can reach 167.2 kilograms. Currently, more than 1000 acres have been promoted and planted. At the same time, it is necessary to actively introduce more international high-quality coffee varieties and optimize the existing planting structure. In terms of planting methods, we will promote a refined planting model, accurately delineate core premium production areas based on the altitude, soil and other conditions of different regions, formulate and strictly implement refined planting standards, and effectively improve the premium rate of coffee beans.

The upgrading of processing technology is crucial for the development of Yunnan's coffee industry. To deepen the integration of industry, academia, and research, and leverage scientific research capabilities, more advanced processing technologies should be developed to address the unique flavor characteristics of Yunnan coffee beans grown at high altitudes, improve extraction efficiency, enrich product flavors, and meet diversified market demands. From the perspective of planting, the application of smart agriculture technology will become increasingly widespread; The popularization of intelligent equipment in the processing stage will improve production efficiency and product stability. At the same time, big data analysis will also help enterprises accurately grasp market demand, optimize product development and marketing strategies. Currently, the deep processing rate of Yunnan coffee has increased from 20% in 2021 to 80%, but there is still room for improvement in technological innovation and product diversification.

Innovative consumption scenarios are the key path to establishing Yunnan coffee brands. In addition to successfully hosting large-scale events such as the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival, the coffee plantation can also actively innovate and develop novel experiential projects based on popular IPs, or rely on the rich local specialty agricultural products to develop unique coffee specialty products. In the Internet era, it is necessary to make full use of the powerful communication power of the Internet and new media to expand online sales channels, widely spread Yunnan coffee culture, and enhance the popularity and influence of Yunnan coffee brands.

Photo provided by the Propaganda Department of Kunming Municipal Committee

The lingering warmth of the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival has not yet dissipated, and the rich aroma of Yunnan coffee has brewed a new chapter in time. The fragrance circulating in this cup is the livelihood of thousands of farmers in the industrial chain, and the most touching taste footnote for living in Yunnan. From the spotlight of the grand event by the Dianchi Lake to the lingering aroma drifting towards the world, Yunnan coffee will ultimately activate economic vitality with its industrial pulse, nourish the poetry of travel with its cultural charm, and turn every coffee bean into a golden bond connecting development and beauty, becoming more mellow and long-lasting over time, with a fragrance drifting around the world. (Ji Xianghu)