三年磨一剑 咖香漫春城丨2026滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华助力“湖滨春城、山水花都”城市品牌建设观察Three Years of Grinding a Sword, Coffee Fragrance Blooms in the Spring City - 2026 Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival Helps Build the Urban Brand of "Lakeside Spring City, Landscape Flower City" Observation

风从滇池来，满是咖啡香。

2024年8月，首届滇池东岸国际咖啡文化嘉年华在滇池绿道草海段启幕。短短9天，65万人次涌入滇池绿道草海段，消费咖啡约12万杯，拉动消费近亿元。彼时，或许很少有人预料到，这缕咖香将在短短三年间，从滇池一隅飘向全国乃至东南亚，成长为昆明文旅最具辨识度的“现象级IP”。

三年，从“破题”到“成势”，从“现象级出圈”到“全域化升级”。2026年8月1日至9日，以“滇咖聚 万物生”为主题的第三届滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华即将焕新呈现。这一次，它承载的不仅是一场咖啡盛宴，更是昆明围绕“湖滨春城、山水花都”城市定位，推动“产、城、人、湖”和谐共生、全方位诠释“有一种叫云南的生活”的战略实践。

“回顾2024年首届与2025年第二届滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华，我们看到的并非两场孤立的活动，而是一个城市级IP从‘战略破题’走向‘系统成势’的完整演进样本。”云南大学马克思主义学院“新时代实践教育”教研室主任、云南省文化产业研究会秘书长、云南大学国家文化和旅游研究基地特约研究员于良楠在接受采访时如是说。

产业维度上，2024年首届嘉年华完成了云南咖啡“从产地到消费场”的关键一跃。长期以来，云南咖啡虽占全国98%以上产量，却深陷“原料输出地”的价值洼地。首届活动通过展销、赛事、论坛等平台，首次将产区、烘焙商、设备商与终端消费者置于同一空间。活动斩获“最大规模咖啡品鉴派对”吉尼斯世界纪录，全网阅读量达8.96亿次。2025年第二届实现“链式聚合”升级，首次滇池东西岸全域联动，累计接待280.59万人次，客流量同比增长330%。“第二届发布的分级标准与产业联盟，标志着云南咖啡从‘卖原料’向‘定标准、建生态’转型。”

城市维度上，节庆的真正价值在于将“临时场景”转化为“永久功能”。首届将“湖景”与“咖香”深度绑定，第二届推动空间价值“功能固化”——咖啡驿站、滨水步道被保留，交通接驳纳入公交体系，沿线商业主动引入咖啡主题。

“这种‘节庆引流、文旅发展’的模式，使嘉年华成为滇池片区城市更新的催化剂。它重塑了市民与游客对滇池的认知——从‘远观的风景’变为‘可进入、可停留、可消费的生活场域’。”于良楠说。

2026年第三届嘉年华紧扣“湖滨春城、山水花都”城市定位及“产、城、人、湖”共生理念，以“滇咖聚 万物生”为主题，围绕“生根、生趣、生活、生力”四大板块进行全面升级。

“当浓郁的咖啡香气与滇池的潋滟波光交织，一场关于城市未来的深刻变革正在悄然发生。”于良楠认为，2026年嘉年华超越了传统节庆“热闹几天、人走茶凉”的短期狂欢逻辑，“它正以一种系统性的力量，推动着昆明‘产、城、人、湖’和谐共生的深度重构。”

在产业“生根”层面，本届活动引入“2026第二届云南瑰宝咖啡生豆大赛（云南卓越杯试点赛）”，打通“从种子到杯子”全产业链。赛事已于6月15日至25日举行，三支云南咖啡生豆评分突破90分大关，获得总统奖，冠军豆拍出1.4万元/公斤的价格，创下中国咖啡生豆拍卖新高。

嘉年华期间还将举行“万物生”滇池国际咖啡产业大咖圆桌会，邀请行业专家、企业代表围绕云南咖啡产业发展展开交流。截至2025年，云南咖啡种植面积达146.3万亩，生豆产量13.89万吨，农业产值86.6亿元，三项指标均位列全国第一。全省咖啡豆精品率已从2021年的8%跃升至2025年的41.7%。云南咖啡正从“原料输出”转向“品牌输出”。

“嘉年华以消费端的热度倒逼生产端的革新，通过产销对接、品牌推广、标准制定，推动云南咖啡从初级加工向精品化、品牌化转型。”于良楠指出，“通过‘咖+住’‘咖+行’‘咖+游’等融合业态，咖啡产业链正在昆明‘生根’‘生趣’‘生活’‘生力’。”

“嘉年华是昆明城市发展进阶的重要推动力。围绕‘湖滨春城、山水花都’的定位，交通路网的优化、休闲设施的升级、商业业态的丰富、景观体系的打造，都因嘉年华的需求而加速推进。”

于良楠赞许表示，2026年嘉年华突破往年仅滇池东西岸双主会场的局限，全新落地八大差异化特色分会场——丹霞营地、彰美村码头、云南民族村、大观公园·庾园、碧鸡绿动高峣、巡津街、南屏街、翠湖咖啡文化中心——把咖啡文化从滇池沿岸延伸至城市核心街巷。采用全域市场化均衡运营模式，不设置单一独占核心主场，多点错位布局、全城同步引流。

“如果说‘翠湖时代’塑造了昆明作为历史文化名城的温婉底色，那么‘滇池时代’则标志着这座城市向国际化、生态化、现代化湖滨都市的全面进阶。”于良楠说。

本届嘉年华主打长效运营，落地环草海多个咖啡商业项目——滇萃·咖啡综合体、好在岛（彰美村码头）、丹霞营地、大观公园·庾园、融创滇池后海、云南民族村——形成常态化咖啡文旅生态。以滇池绿道为轴线，打造“东岸好享、西岸好玩”差异化场景，通过“咖啡+住宿、旅游、出行”融合业态，推动从打卡观光向沉浸式旅居转型。

“滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华是推动昆明文旅从‘老城叙事’迈向‘湖滨新篇’的关键支点与核心引擎。”于良楠总结道。

“嘉年华让市民与游客在亲近滇池、享受咖啡的过程中，直观感受滇池生态治理成效，建立起对湖泊生态的情感认同与保护自觉。”于良楠指出。

本届嘉年华推出“一颗咖啡渣星球·滇池共生计划”（咖啡渣回收），践行绿色可持续发展理念。人的活动与湖的生态不再是对立关系，而是在精心设计的场景中实现了良性互动。

“这种‘人湖和谐’的体验，正是‘有一种叫云南的生活’最生动的注脚——它不是抽象的口号，而是可以在滇池边喝一杯咖啡、看一次日落、感受一份宁静的具体日常。”于良楠说。

更重要的是，嘉年华所激发的城市活力具有持续的溢出效应。“咖啡这一兼具社交属性、审美价值与文化张力的饮品，天然与青春、活力、创造力深度绑定。”于良楠分析，“嘉年华以咖啡为媒介，将‘年轻’从抽象的人口概念转化为可感知的消费活力、市场活力与青春活力，让滇池真正成为一座属于年轻人、吸引年轻人、成就年轻人的湖滨舞台。当人们因为一杯咖啡爱上昆明，因为一种生活方式选择留下，城市的发展便获得了最持久的人才支撑与内生动力。”

在全民玩乐“生趣”层面，本届嘉年华将开展“滇咖跑”（滇池马咖松）、咖香花境滇岸巡游等活动。8月1日至2日、8日至9日，重磅推出“咖香花境滇岸巡游”——融合公路潮流、先锋装置艺术与咖啡生活美学的沉浸式夜游盛宴。集结29辆特色车辆、50名专业妆造NPC，涵盖艺奇客艺术花车、复古车、重型机车、MOD改装踏板车及复古边三轮五大板块。

在场景体验的“生活”层面，创历届之最的200辆咖啡车将集结环湖。推出“滇池夕阳座椅共创计划”，邀请市民打造湖畔艺术座椅，搭配写生展、晚霞音乐会。

一个成功的节庆，从来不只是活动的堆砌，而是城市精神的具象化表达。

于良楠特别提到了青岛啤酒节的启示：“青岛啤酒节之所以长盛不衰，是因为它将啤酒文化与城市的开放、热情、海洋气质深度绑定，成为了城市性格的一部分。”1991年首届青岛国际啤酒节在中山公园开幕，30多万人次如潮水般涌上街头；35年来，它成长为亚洲规模最大的啤酒盛会、世界四大啤酒节之一；2024年第34届接待游客636万人次、消费啤酒2800余吨。

“青岛啤酒节从国内数以千计的节庆活动中脱颖而出，逐步成长为融旅游、文化、体育、经贸于一体的国家级大型节庆活动。一杯啤酒，举杯对饮，无需翻译，风行五洲。青岛国际啤酒节与这座城市建立了深度联结，二者在同频共振中释放出源源不断的创新发展动能。”

于良楠认为，滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华的进化之路有着与青岛啤酒节相似之处：“嘉年华的使命，是将云南咖啡从单纯的农产品或饮品，升华为一种承载地域美学与生活哲学的文化符号。云南是中国咖啡的主产区，但长期以来，‘有品类无品牌、有原料无文化’的困境制约着产业价值的跃升。嘉年华的举办，正是以文化为针、以体验为线，缝合这一断裂带。它通过沉浸式的场景营造、国际化的赛事交流、多元化的艺术融合，将咖啡从田间地头搬到了滇池之畔，从生产车间引入了生活现场。”

“在这里，咖啡不再仅仅是提神的功能性饮料，而是连接人与自然、传统与现代、本土与国际的情感媒介。这种文化符号的塑造，让‘云南咖啡’拥有了可感知、可触摸、可传播的温度，也让昆明这座城市，在‘春城花都’之外，增添了‘咖啡之城’的现代韵味。”

在这场文旅产业升级与城市品质进阶的宏大叙事中，昆明文旅集团扮演着关键角色。

作为环滇池区域的核心运营者，昆明文旅集团于2024年6月组建完成，定位为昆明市文旅资源运营整合商，是盘活滇池沿岸零散资源、打通条块壁垒、实现全域统筹发展的关键平台，在昆明城市品质进阶、文旅产业迭代、宜居生态城市建设的全局工作中，发挥着不可替代的作用。该集团以“连接春城旅图，引领生活风尚”为愿景，聚焦“环滇大景区”战略布局，构建“3+N”业务体系——以文旅产业投资、景区与目的地运营服务、文旅IP与演艺赛事产品运营三大主业为支柱，配套N项支撑业务，赋能昆明世界级休闲度假旅游目的地建设。

2024年12月，市委召开专题会议，会上强调，昆明文旅集团要充分发挥文旅资源运营整合作用，科学谋划滇池沿岸旅游产品打造、业态布局、交通组织等工作，积极做好滇池绿道沿线旅游资源的整合、运维、管理工作。

这一战略体系在咖啡嘉年华中得到了集中呈现——108公里滇池绿道的精细化运营与成熟的交通服务保障，让“短期节庆引流”与“常态化运营”形成闭环。滇池绿道全线完成108公里标识标牌系统升级，中英双语指引全覆盖，实现“应通尽通、触手可及”。

在嘉年华的推动下，草海片区咖啡文旅业态已初具规模。草海东岸滇萃·咖啡综合体引入秋珀庄园、幸也咖啡等多个咖啡品牌及生活方式商家入驻，环湖看落日、沉浸式品鉴精品云咖，成为市民游客湖滨休闲新玩法。滇池西岸融创文旅城、西岸PARK则有北归咖仓、幸鹿等咖啡品牌，适配环湖骑行、户外休闲多元场景。

度假区、西山区联动昆明文旅集团全域升级湖滨配套，正在中铁诺德春风十里片区布局咖啡+民宿业态，在好在岛（彰美村码头）打造滨水咖啡艺岸，在大观公园·庾园打造老昆明记忆的沉浸式游园场景。

西山区同步加快推进华住集团花间堂翠泊精选高端度假酒店、云安会都聚贤堂提质、云安体育运动中心、融创心岛花园等项目建设，补齐湖滨住宿、餐饮、运动疗愈配套，构建“咖啡观景+休闲旅游+户外运动+烟火美食”一体化环湖文旅生态。

创业者小陶的故事，是滇岸咖啡走廊产业集聚效应的生动注脚。这位之前从事教育工作的零零后，去年以游客身份参加咖啡嘉年华后，被滇池畔的火热氛围与优美环境深深吸引，决心在此开设一家以MBTI人格特征为主题的咖啡特调店。在他看来，正是度假区与中铁物业联手打造的“滇岸咖啡走廊”等项目，为小店扎根提供了坚实平台。开业以来，滇池绿道充沛的人流和浓厚的咖啡文化氛围，让这家以“快乐小狗”为品牌内核的创意咖啡店迅速获得市场认可。

受访者供图

“政府和物业先把文化氛围炒起来了，我们这些小店才有勇气去扎根，心里有了托底的人，才能更好地去经营。”小陶表示，从去年的顾客到今年的“东道主”，他对本届嘉年华充满期待：“相信今年的咖啡嘉年华一定会比去年还要精彩。”

小陶的亲身经历，是嘉年华从“现象级流量”向“常态化产业生态”转化的一个缩影。2026年，嘉年华进一步跳出“短期节庆”活动的思维，构建“短期嘉年华引流＋草海沿线咖啡+业态常态化运营”的闭环体系。通过专业赛事、深化“咖啡+文旅、运动、户外、音乐、非遗、民宿”融合产品，完善环湖交通与商业设施、打造东西岸互通的环湖咖啡经济带等举措，推动市民游客从打卡观光转向沉浸式体验。

据悉，以嘉年华为基础，昆明文旅集团还将在草海片区打造“滇岸咖啡走廊”，实现咖啡文化常态化运营。从“短期节庆”到“常态化运营”，昆明文旅集团正以国企担当赋能“湖滨春城、山水花都”城市品牌化为实景。于良楠教授评价道：“嘉年华的意义早已超越一场文化活动，它正在推动生态价值向经济、社会价值转化。”

“十五五”时期是城市高质量发展和文旅深度融合的关键阶段，节庆活动也成为拉动消费、塑造城市品牌、活化公共空间、助推城市更新的重要抓手。

于良楠指出：“滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华，是一场以咖啡为名的城市更新和城市进化，将‘产、城、人、湖’四个原本相对独立的系统要素，编织成一个相互滋养、动态平衡的共生体。这种共生不是简单的叠加，而是在空间、功能与情感层面实现了深度融合，让城市定位有了可触摸的温度与可感知的活力。”

伴随嘉年华持续推进，昆明正逐步构建起“节庆引流、产业赋能、长效发展”的良性循环，让节庆热度转化为产业发展的持久势能，形成“以节聚势、以节赋能、以节兴城”的发展路径。

三年磨一剑，咖香漫春城。当滇池的波涛与咖啡的醇香共同谱写昆明的新篇章，昆明便真正拥有了一座面向未来的城市应有的模样——开放、蓬勃、充满可能。

“我们有理由相信，滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华所开启的，不仅是一个节庆的未来，更是一座城市迈向更高能级、更具魅力、更可持续明天的坚实步伐。”于良楠坚定地说。

来源/都市时报

编辑/高杉

审核/李猛

终审/卢俊

The wind comes from Dianchi Lake, filled with the aroma of coffee.

In August 2024, the first Dianchi East Coast International Coffee Culture Carnival kicked off at the Caohai section of the Dianchi Greenway. In just 9 days, 650000 people flocked to the Caohai section of the Dianchi Greenway, consuming about 120000 cups of coffee and driving consumption of nearly 100 million yuan. At that time, perhaps few people expected that this scent of coffee would float from a corner of Dianchi Lake to the whole country and even Southeast Asia in just three years, growing into the most recognizable "phenomenal IP" in Kunming's cultural and tourism industry.

In three years, from "solving problems" to "gaining momentum", from "phenomenon level emergence" to "global upgrading". From August 1st to 9th, 2026, the third Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival with the theme of "Dian Coffee Gathers All Things to Live" will be revitalized and presented. This time, it not only carries a coffee feast, but also Kunming's strategic practice of promoting the harmonious coexistence of "industry, city, people, and lake" around the urban positioning of "lakeside spring city, landscape and flower city", and fully interpreting "there is a life called Yunnan".

Two sessions of accumulation, 'solving problems' becomes' momentum'

Looking back at the first and second Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival in 2024 and 2025, what we see is not two isolated events, but a complete evolution sample of a city level IP from 'strategic breakthrough' to 'systematic development'. ”Yu Liangnan, Director of the "New Era Practice Education" Teaching and Research Office at the School of Marxism, Yunnan University, Secretary General of the Yunnan Cultural Industry Research Association, and Special Researcher at the National Cultural and Tourism Research Base of Yunnan University, said in an interview.

In terms of industry, the first carnival in 2024 has completed a crucial leap for Yunnan coffee from production to consumption. For a long time, although Yunnan coffee accounts for over 98% of the country's production, it has been deeply mired in the value of being a "raw material export destination". The first event, through platforms such as exhibitions, competitions, and forums, brought together production areas, bakers, equipment suppliers, and end consumers in the same space for the first time. The event won the Guinness World Record for the largest coffee tasting party, with 896 million online views. In 2025, the second "chain aggregation" upgrade will be achieved, with the first full area linkage between the east and west banks of Dianchi Lake. A total of 2.8059 million people will be received, and the passenger flow will increase by 330% year-on-year. The second edition of grading standards and industry alliances marks the transformation of Yunnan coffee from 'selling raw materials' to' setting standards and building ecology '

On the urban dimension, the true value of festivals lies in transforming "temporary scenes" into "permanent functions". The first session will deeply link "lake scenery" with "coffee fragrance", and the second session will promote the "functional solidification" of spatial value - coffee stations and waterfront trails will be preserved, transportation connections will be incorporated into the public transportation system, and coffee themed businesses along the route will be actively introduced.

This model of 'festival drainage and cultural tourism development' has made the carnival a catalyst for urban renewal in the Dianchi Lake area. It has reshaped the perception of Dianchi Lake by citizens and tourists - from 'distant scenery' to 'a living area that can be entered, stayed, and consumed,' "said Yu Liangnan.

Three Upgrades, Coexistence of Industry, City, People, and Lake

The third carnival in 2026 closely adheres to the urban positioning of "lakeside spring city, landscape and flower city" and the concept of "industry, city, people, lake" symbiosis. With the theme of "Yunnan coffee gathers all things for life", it will comprehensively upgrade around the four major sections of "rooting, vitality, life, and vitality".

When the rich aroma of coffee intertwines with the shimmering waves of Dianchi Lake, a profound transformation about the future of the city is quietly taking place. "Yu Liangnan believes that the 2026 Carnival has surpassed the short-term carnival logic of traditional festivals, which is" lively for a few days and cool for people to drink tea "." It is driving the deep reconstruction of the harmonious coexistence of 'production, city, people, and lake' in Kunming with a systematic force

At the level of "rooting" in the industry, this event introduces the "2026 Second Yunnan Treasure Coffee Green Bean Competition (Yunnan Excellence Cup Pilot Competition)" to connect the entire industry chain from seeds to cups. The competition was held from June 15th to 25th, and three Yunnan coffee beans broke the 90 point mark and won the Presidential Award. The champion beans sold for 14000 yuan/kg, setting a new record for Chinese coffee beans auctions.

During the carnival, the "All Things Live" Dianchi International Coffee Industry Celebrity Roundtable will also be held, inviting industry experts and business representatives to exchange ideas on the development of Yunnan's coffee industry. By 2025, the coffee planting area in Yunnan will reach 1.463 million mu, with a green bean yield of 138900 tons and an agricultural output value of 8.66 billion yuan, ranking first in the country in all three indicators. The premium coffee bean rate in the province has jumped from 8% in 2021 to 41.7% in 2025. Yunnan coffee is shifting from "raw material export" to "brand export".

Carnival, driven by the popularity of the consumer end, is driving innovation in the production end. Through production and sales coordination, brand promotion, and standard setting, it is promoting the transformation of Yunnan coffee from primary processing to boutique and branded products. "Yu Liangnan pointed out," Through integrated formats such as' coffee+living ',' coffee+travel ', and' coffee+tourism ', the coffee industry chain is taking root, creating interest, life, and vitality in Kunming

Reshaping urban space

Carnival is an important driving force for the development and advancement of Kunming city. Centered around the positioning of 'lakeside spring city, landscape flower city', the optimization of transportation network, upgrading of leisure facilities, enrichment of commercial formats, and creation of landscape system are all accelerated due to the demand for carnival

Yu Liangnan praised that the 2026 Carnival broke through the limitations of only having two main venues on the east and west banks of Dianchi Lake in previous years, and newly landed eight differentiated sub venues - Danxia Camp, Zhangmei Village Pier, Yunnan Ethnic Village, Daguan Park · Yuyuan, Biji Lvdong Gaoqiao, Xunjin Street, Nanping Street, Cuihu Coffee Culture Center - extending coffee culture from the banks of Dianchi Lake to the core streets and alleys of the city. Adopting a comprehensive market-oriented and balanced operation model, without setting up a single exclusive core venue, with multi-point staggered layout and synchronized city wide drainage.

If the 'Cuihu Era' shaped Kunming's gentle background as a historical and cultural city, then the 'Dianchi Era' marks the city's comprehensive advancement towards internationalization, ecologicalization, and modernization as a lakeside city, "said Yu Liangnan.

This carnival focuses on long-term operation and has landed multiple coffee commercial projects around Caohai, including Diancui Coffee Complex, Haohao Island (Zhangmei Village Pier), Danxia Camp, Daguan Park Yuyuan, Rongchuang Dianchi Houhai, and Yunnan Ethnic Village, forming a normalized coffee tourism ecology. Taking the Dianchi Greenway as the axis, we aim to create a differentiated scene of "enjoying on the east bank and fun on the west bank", and promote the transformation from check-in sightseeing to immersive travel through the integration of "coffee+accommodation, tourism, and travel".

The Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival is a key pivot and core engine for promoting Kunming's cultural tourism from 'old city narrative' to 'lakeside new chapter', "concluded Yu Liangnan.

Create harmony between humans and lakes

The carnival allows citizens and tourists to experience the ecological governance effectiveness of Dianchi Lake and establish emotional identification and conscious protection of the lake ecology while getting close to it and enjoying coffee, "said Yu Liangnan.

This carnival has launched the "One Coffee Residue Planet · Dianchi Lake Symbiosis Plan" (coffee residue recycling), practicing the concept of green and sustainable development. Human activities and the ecology of the lake are no longer in opposition, but have achieved a positive interaction in carefully designed scenes.

This experience of 'harmony between humans and lakes' is the most vivid footnote to' there is a life called Yunnan '- it is not an abstract slogan, but a concrete daily experience of drinking a cup of coffee, watching a sunset, and feeling tranquility by the Dianchi Lake, "said Yu Liangnan.

More importantly, the urban vitality inspired by the carnival has a sustained spillover effect. Coffee, a beverage that combines social attributes, aesthetic value, and cultural tension, is naturally deeply bound to youth, vitality, and creativity, "Yu Liangnan analyzed." Carnival uses coffee as a medium to transform 'youth' from an abstract concept of population to perceptible consumption vitality, market vitality, and youth vitality, making Dianchi Lake truly a lakeside stage that belongs to young people, attracts young people, and achieves young people. When people fall in love with Kunming because of a cup of coffee and choose to stay because of a lifestyle, the city's development receives the most lasting talent support and endogenous power

At the level of national fun and entertainment, this carnival will carry out activities such as "Dian Ka Run" (Dian Lake Ma Ka Song) and "Ka Xiang Hua Jing Dian Shore Parade". From August 1st to 2nd and 8th to 9th, we will launch the "Coffee Fragrance Flower Landscape Yunnan Coast Tour" - an immersive night tour that combines highway trends, avant-garde installation art, and coffee lifestyle aesthetics. Gather 29 distinctive vehicles and 50 professional makeup NPCs, covering five major categories: Yiqike art floats, retro cars, heavy-duty motorcycles, MOD modified scooters, and retro side tricycles.

At the "life" level of the scene experience, the record breaking 200 coffee trucks will gather around the lake. Launch the "Dianchi Sunset Seat Co Creation Plan", inviting citizens to create lakeside art chairs, paired with sketching exhibitions and sunset concerts.

Borrowing strength from the sea, using coffee as a medium

A successful festival is not just a pile of activities, but a concrete expression of the urban spirit.

Yu Liangnan specifically mentioned the inspiration of the Qingdao Beer Festival: "The reason why the Qingdao Beer Festival has been thriving is that it deeply binds beer culture with the openness, enthusiasm, and oceanic temperament of the city, becoming a part of the city's character." In 1991, the first Qingdao International Beer Festival opened in Zhongshan Park, and more than 300000 people flooded the streets like a tide; Over the past 35 years, it has grown into the largest beer festival in Asia and one of the four major beer festivals in the world; In 2024, the 34th edition received 6.36 million tourists and consumed over 2800 tons of beer.

The Qingdao Beer Festival has stood out from thousands of domestic festivals and gradually grown into a national level large-scale festival that integrates tourism, culture, sports, and economy and trade. A glass of beer, a toast to drink, no need for translation, is popular in five continents. The Qingdao International Beer Festival has established a deep connection with this city, and the two have released a continuous stream of innovative development momentum in resonance

Yu Liangnan believes that the evolution path of the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival is similar to that of the Qingdao Beer Festival: "The mission of the carnival is to elevate Yunnan coffee from a simple agricultural product or beverage to a cultural symbol that carries regional aesthetics and life philosophy. Yunnan is the main production area of coffee in China, but for a long time, the dilemma of 'having categories but no brand, having raw materials but no culture' has hindered the leap of industrial value. The carnival is held with culture as the needle and experience as the thread, stitching this fracture zone. Through immersive scene creation, international competition exchange, and diversified artistic integration, it has moved coffee from the fields to the banks of Dianchi Lake, and introduced it from the production workshop to the living scene. The sentence is:

Here, coffee is no longer just a refreshing functional beverage, but an emotional medium that connects people and nature, tradition and modernity, local and international. The shaping of this cultural symbol has given 'Yunnan Coffee' a perceptible, touchable, and communicable temperature, and has also added a modern charm to the city of Kunming, beyond the 'Spring City Flower Capital'

State owned enterprises take responsibility for long-term operation

In this grand narrative of cultural and tourism industry upgrading and urban quality advancement, Kunming Cultural and Tourism Group plays a key role.

As the core operator of the Dianchi Lake area, Kunming Culture and Tourism Group was established in June 2024, positioning itself as an integrated operator of cultural and tourism resources in Kunming. It is a key platform for revitalizing scattered resources along the Dianchi Lake, breaking down barriers, and achieving overall coordinated development. It plays an irreplaceable role in the overall work of Kunming's urban quality improvement, cultural and tourism industry iteration, and livable ecological city construction. The group has the vision of "connecting the tourism map of the spring city and leading the lifestyle", focusing on the strategic layout of "surrounding Yunnan scenic spots", and building a "3+N" business system - with cultural and tourism industry investment, scenic spot and destination operation services, and cultural and tourism IP and performance event product operation as the pillars, supporting N supporting businesses, and empowering the construction of Kunming as a world-class leisure and vacation tourism destination.

In December 2024, the Municipal Party Committee held a special meeting, emphasizing that Kunming Culture and Tourism Group should fully leverage its role in integrating cultural and tourism resources, scientifically plan the development of tourism products, business layout, transportation organization, and actively carry out the integration, operation, and management of tourism resources along the Dianchi Greenway.

This strategic system was prominently presented in the Coffee Carnival - the refined operation and mature transportation service guarantee of the 108 kilometer Dianchi Greenway, forming a closed loop between "short-term festival drainage" and "normalized operation". The entire Dianchi Greenway has completed the upgrade of the 108 kilometer signage system, with bilingual guidance in both Chinese and English covering the entire area, achieving "all accessible and within reach".

Driven by the carnival, the coffee and tourism industry in the Caohai area has begun to take shape. The Diancui Coffee Complex on the east bank of Caohai has introduced multiple coffee brands and lifestyle merchants, such as Qiupo Manor and Xingye Coffee, to settle in. By watching the sunset around the lake and immersing oneself in high-quality cloud coffee, it has become a new way for citizens and tourists to relax on the lakeside. On the west bank of Dianchi Lake, there is Rongchuang Cultural and Tourism City, while on the west bank, PARK has coffee brands such as Beigui Coffee Warehouse and Xinglu, which are suitable for diverse scenes such as cycling around the lake and outdoor leisure.

The resort area and Xishan District are jointly upgrading the lakeside facilities with Kunming Culture and Tourism Group. They are laying out coffee and homestay formats in the ten mile area of China Railway Nord Spring Breeze. They are also creating a waterfront coffee art shore on Haohao Island (Zhangmei Village Pier) and an immersive park scene with memories of old Kunming in Daguan Park and Yuyuan.

Xishan District is accelerating the construction of projects such as Huazhu Group Huajiantang Cuibo Selected High end Resort Hotel, Yun'an Huidu Juxiantang Quality Improvement, Yun'an Sports Center, Rongchuang Xin Island Garden, etc., to supplement lakeside accommodation, catering, and sports healing facilities, and build an integrated lake cultural and tourism ecology of "coffee viewing+leisure tourism+outdoor sports+fireworks and cuisine".

The story of entrepreneur Xiao Tao is a vivid footnote to the industrial agglomeration effect of the Dian'an Coffee Corridor. This post-2000s who previously worked in education participated in a coffee carnival as a tourist last year, and was deeply attracted by the hot atmosphere and beautiful environment by the Dianchi Lake. He decided to open a coffee specialty shop with MBTI personality traits as the theme here. In his opinion, it is the joint efforts of the resort and China Railway Property to create projects such as the "Dian An Coffee Corridor" that provide a solid platform for small shops to take root. Since its opening, the abundant foot traffic and strong coffee culture atmosphere of Dianchi Greenway have quickly gained market recognition for this creative coffee shop with the brand core of "Happy Dog".

Respondent provided pictures

The government and property management should first stir up the cultural atmosphere, so that we small shops have the courage to take root and have people to support us in order to operate better. "Xiao Tao said that from last year's customers to this year's" host ", he is full of expectations for this carnival:" I believe this year's coffee carnival will be even more exciting than last year

Xiao Tao's personal experience is a microcosm of Carnival's transformation from "phenomenal traffic" to "normalized industrial ecology". In 2026, Carnival will further break away from the thinking of "short-term festivals" and build a closed-loop system of "short-term carnival drainage+coffee along the Caohai line+normalized operation of business formats". Through professional competitions, deepening the integration of "coffee+cultural tourism, sports, outdoor activities, music, intangible cultural heritage, and homestays" products, improving the transportation and commercial facilities around the lake, and creating a coffee economic belt connecting the east and west coasts, we aim to promote citizens and tourists to shift from check-in sightseeing to immersive experiences.

It is reported that based on the carnival, Kunming Culture and Tourism Group will also build a "Dian An Coffee Corridor" in the Caohai area to achieve normalized operation of coffee culture. From "short-term festivals" to "normalized operations", Kunming Culture and Tourism Group is taking on the role of a state-owned enterprise to empower the branding of the "Lakeside Spring City, Landscape Flower City" city. Professor Yu Liangnan commented, "The significance of the carnival has long surpassed that of a cultural event. It is promoting the transformation of ecological value into economic and social value

Revitalizing the city through festivals, the future is promising

The period of the 15th Five Year Plan is a crucial stage for high-quality urban development and deep integration of culture and tourism. Festival activities have also become an important lever for driving consumption, shaping urban brands, revitalizing public spaces, and promoting urban renewal.

Yu Liangnan pointed out, "The Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival is an urban renewal and evolution named after coffee, weaving the four relatively independent system elements of 'production, city, people, and lake' into a symbiotic and dynamically balanced entity. This symbiosis is not simply a superposition, but a deep integration in space, function, and emotion, giving the city a touchable temperature and perceptible vitality in its positioning

With the continuous promotion of the carnival, Kunming is gradually building a virtuous cycle of "festival drainage, industry empowerment, and long-term development", transforming the popularity of festivals into lasting momentum for industrial development, and forming a development path of "gathering momentum with festivals, empowering with festivals, and revitalizing the city with festivals".

After three years of sharpening a sword, the fragrance of coffee fills the city of spring. When the waves of Dianchi Lake and the rich aroma of coffee together compose a new chapter for Kunming, Kunming truly possesses the appearance that a future oriented city should have - open, thriving, and full of possibilities.

We have reason to believe that the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival has opened not only a future of festivals, but also a solid step for a city to move towards a higher level, more charming, and more sustainable tomorrow, "said Yu Liangnan firmly.

Source/Urban Times

Editor/Takasugi

Review/Li Meng

Final review/Lu Jun