* Yunnan sits on the northern fringe of the global coffee-growing "bean belt," the equatorial zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. For centuries, its rolling highlands were known as China's tea heartland. Over the past two decades, steady investment, improved farming techniques and booming domestic consumption have nurtured a thriving home-grown coffee industry.
* Cross-border innovation in coffee culture is also taking shape across the Lancang-Mekong basin, which China shares with Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
* While Southeast Asia remains at the heart of Yunnan's Asia-Pacific coffee trade, the beans are travelling much farther -- all the way to New Zealand, where they remain a niche but notable newcomer to the specialty-coffee scene.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- When Thomas Ooi first tasted Yunnan coffee in Beijing in 2015, its savory, almost beef-jerky-like character struck him as unusual. Back then, few in Malaysia's coffee scene had their eye on beans from Yunnan, a Chinese province better known for tea.
A decade later, everything has changed. Ooi, founder of Ghostbird Coffee Roastery in Kuala Lumpur, imported his first batch of Yunnan specialty beans in 2025, put them on his cafe menu, and watched them sell out in just two months.
The growing popularity reflects a broader regional shift, as coffee from China's mountainous southwest gains ground beyond its home market, finding new drinkers across the Asia-Pacific and opening fresh avenues for trade, cultural exchange and appreciation of taste.
EMERGING COFFEE ORIGIN
Yunnan sits on the northern fringe of the global coffee-growing "bean belt," the equatorial zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. For centuries, its rolling highlands were known as China's tea heartland. Over the past two decades, steady investment, improved farming techniques and booming domestic consumption have nurtured a thriving home-grown coffee industry.
Yunnan's coffee industry spans six core growing zones: Pu'er, Baoshan, Lincang, Dehong, Xishuangbanna and Nujiang, each boasting unique strengths in nurturing specialty coffee. In the first eight months of 2026, the province exported 11,000 tonnes of coffee with a total value of 450 million yuan (67 million U.S. dollars).
"I think Yunnan is very interesting, not just because of the coffee varietals themselves. I think the producers from Yunnan are very innovative," Ooi said, sharing his plan to visit Yunnan's coffee farms at the end of this year's harvest season, which will bring along fellow roaster friends eager to see the plantations firsthand.
Malaysia is among Yunnan's key Asian export destinations. According to the provincial international trade association, Yunnan coffee was exported to 43 countries and regions in 2025, with European and Asian countries being leading destinations for Yunnan's coffee shipments. Within Asia, Vietnam and Malaysia stand as the two major markets.
CROSS-BORDER BLENDS
For Hanoi coffee specialist Pham Duy Anh, Yunnan beans are steadily winning over Vietnamese consumers, with an increasing number of specialty cafes and roasters now offering them.
He said their appeal lies in improving quality with each harvest and a range of processing methods that suit Vietnamese drinkers seeking new flavors.
"Diverse processing methods like washed, natural, honey and anaerobic have kept the beans from being boxed into a single flavor profile, giving drinkers notes such as mild wine, raisin, guava, tea and watermelon," Anh said, depicting it as an advantage in a market that values diversity and personalization in the coffee experience.
Trade ties between Yunnan and Vietnam have grown beyond simple commodity exchanges, creating an environment that has helped fuel the growing coffee trade between the two sides. Joint initiatives, including the China-Vietnam coffee festival, industry-led trade alliances, enterprise matchmaking and supply-chain field visits, have built deep industry-to-industry connections.
At the Fourth China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing in June, a 40-square-meter Yunnan-Vietnam-themed coffee booth drew wide attention by highlighting its edge in frontier-based cross-border coffee supply chains.
Cross-border innovation in coffee culture is also taking shape across the Lancang-Mekong basin, which China shares with Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Omar Ali, co-founder and general manager of SinoTaste, created "Mekong Coffee with Six Flavors," a multi-country blended coffee drawing beans from all six Lancang-Mekong nations, after sampling roughly 50 bean lots and testing dozens of formulas.
"When you make a multi-origin blend, the point is not to make one origin stand out. It is about how these coffees complement each other and create something none could achieve on its own," Omar Ali said. "It mirrors partnerships: every country and culture carries distinct strengths; brought together, they produce new possibilities."
TO GO FURTHER AFIELD
While Southeast Asia remains at the heart of Yunnan's Asia-Pacific coffee trade, the beans are travelling much farther -- all the way to New Zealand, where they remain a niche but notable newcomer to the specialty-coffee scene.
New Zealand's cafe culture has relied heavily on beans from established Latin American producers such as Brazil and Colombia. But Yunnan green beans have begun appearing at a handful of local roasteries, Radio New Zealand reported.
MQ Coffee, based in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is among the businesses giving Yunnan coffee a foothold in New Zealand. Its co-owner, Wang Yanqi, said the beans have improved markedly in quality in recent years, just as international interest in China as a source of coffee has begun to grow.
The company features Yunnan beans in its training and tasting sessions, putting them side by side with coffees from other origins to give participants a firsthand taste of Yunnan's distinctive flavor profiles.
Wang noted that some Yunnan coffees have good sweetness and body, allowing their distinctive coffee character to shine through even with milk added.
The company has organized study tours for New Zealand coffee professionals and enthusiasts to visit growing regions inside Yunnan, where they could gain direct insight into local coffee farming and processing practices.
To turn overseas interest into repeat purchases, Yunnan coffee must become more competitive on quality, price and reliability of supply, Wang said.
The quality of Yunnan coffee has improved significantly over the past decade, Ooi said. "Now we are learning about its taste profiles, but we want to understand them more deeply." (Video reporters: Li Shutong, Wang Jiawei, Zul and Jonathan Tham Yao Ming; Video editors: Zhao Tianlin, Liu Xiaorui, Zhang Yuhong and Zhang Yichi)■
SOURCE/AUTHOR : XIN HUA NEWS/HUAXIA
Venues
No third party should interfere in territory, maritime disputes: Chinese FM spokesperson
S&P Global Ratings' affirmation of China outlook reflects recognition of country's economic resilience
China aims to achieve breakthroughs in brain-computer interface technology by 2027
Rescue underway after mountain torrents leave 10 dead, 33 missing in NW China's Gansu
With independent customs operation, Hainan Free Trade Port poised to pioneer China's high-standard opening up
Xi urges all-out rescue efforts after Gansu mountain torrents cause heavy casualties
China activates Level-IV emergency response for flood control in 5 provincial-level regions
Across China: North China night market offers a cyberpunk feast for the eyes and the stomach
Think tank report highlights China's ecological governance innovation, global impact
Chinese scientists develop smart surveillance system to control mosquito-borne diseases
Letter from China: Robots take center stage at Beijing expo, pointing to tech revolution
China Focus: Paired assistance program improves access to quality health care for Xizang residents
Column: China-proposed global AI cooperation organization expected to narrow global tech gap
Factbox: China witnesses remarkable progress in data sector in 14th Five-Year Plan period
China urges Japan to be prudent on historical issues such as Yasukuni Shrine: spokesperson
Books of Xi's discourses on adhering to deepening reform comprehensively published
Chengdu World Games closes, highlighting inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation
Xinhua Headlines: Host city of 2025 World Games unfolds new vitality in opening wider to globe
Uzbek edition of "Xi Jinping: On Respecting and Protecting Human Rights" launched in Uzbekistan
China Focus: China's expanding national park system delivers breakthroughs in wildlife conservation
Xinhua Headlines: China's factories trade smoke for sustainability through green innovation
Xi urges concerted efforts for modernization when meeting representatives from across Xizang
Tourist train with elderly-friendly modifications departs from Harbin for grassland trip
Xinhua Headlines: Setting sail again from China, SCO charts course for shared future
Xinhua Headlines: Expo facilitates smart, green cooperation between China, Arab states
Update: China int'l trade representative holds talks with U.S. officials, business representatives
(V-Day) Xi Focus: Xi hails "unstoppable" national rejuvenation at V-Day commemorations
Xi Focus: Xi addresses V-Day reception, stressing justice, peace, people's strength
Commemorative stamps issued to mark 80th anniversary of victory against Japanese aggression, fascism
Xinhua Headlines: Xi makes three proposals at virtual BRICS Summit to cement solidarity, advance cooperation
Solar panels light the way to rural revitalization in China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Over 2,000 exhibitors join expo highlighting vitality of China's culture, tourism industries
Sand control projects launched to improve ecological environment of Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia
China Focus: 2,200-yr-old engraved stone discovery illuminates Chinese civilization on
Xinhua Commentary: Free trade, AI make China-ASEAN economic cooperation closer, more fruitful
Major Xinjiang port handles over 7,000 China-Europe freight train trips this year
SichuanMosaics | First mountain and lake circling festival of Lugu Lake kicks off in SW China's Sichuan
China's V-Day commemorations enhance confidence in advancing national rejuvenation: Xi
China's Hani terraces illustrate the Chinese philosophy of living in harmony with nature
Xinhua Headlines: Chinese commemorate outbreak of war against Japanese aggression with hopes for peace
Explainer: Why the September 18th Incident was a key event in the World Anti-Fascist War
Economic Watch: U.S. high-tech firms upbeat about manufacuture investment in China
Xinhua Headlines: Jingdezhen: China's ancient porcelain capital turns young and chic
Xi leads central delegation to Urumqi for 70th anniversary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
South China's Guangdong raises emergency response to highest for approaching typhoon
Xi's Album | Xi leaves for Beijing after attending celebrations for Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's 70th founding anniversary
Xi attends grand gathering in celebration of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's 70th founding anniversary
13th China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City Int'l High-Tech Expo opens in China's Sichuan
Xinhua Headlines: World's highest bridge opens to traffic in China's mountainous southwest
China Focus: Million-year-old skull from central China rewrites human evolution timeline
Update: China expected to handle 2.36 billion passenger trips in upcoming holiday
Update: China's water conservancy investment to exceed 5.4 trln yuan during 2021-2025 period
China Focus: Honoring WWII victory, China gains strength for national rejuvenation
GLOBALink | African attendees to internet forum seek deeper cooperation with China
China Focus: Innovative cultural tourism heats up China's eight-day holiday market
China's transportation network sees travel peak on 1st day of National Day holiday
China achieves milestone in compact fusion project with key component installation
Xinhua Headlines: From logging to guardianship: How China protects green source of its
China's 2025 box office surpasses 2024's full-year gross, with local films dominating
GLOBALink | Global insiders discuss circus arts and performance in China's circus festival
Xinhua Headlines: How small county in north China becomes magnet for global acrobats
Enhe Village in China's Inner Mongolia draws tourists with blend of Chinese-Russian culture
Tourist destinations across China see surge in visitors during National Day holiday
Economy&life | Eight-day holiday in China sees unprecedented people flows, consumption nationwide
Xinhua Headlines: Gaza conflict -- Two years of devastation and dim prospects ahead
60"FlyOverChina | Nature's red carpet unrolled: Biodiversity haven in Shandong's coastal wetlands
Xinhua Headlines: Surge in Chinese holiday travelers boosts European tourism, cultural exchanges
China logs 2.4 billion cross-regional passenger trips during holiday travel surge
Column: From Beijing to Beijing: 30 years on, the song of women's empowerment rings clearer and louder
Participants attend opening ceremony of Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing
China Focus: 2,300-year-old Chinese silk manuscripts finally return home after decades abroad
Xinhua Commentary: More joint action needed to promote women's development worldwide
Across China: Beyond the steel span -- world's highest bridge uplifting China's mountainous southwest
Economic Watch: China's core inflation hits 19-month high, signaling firmer domestic demand
Explainer: How China fosters growth, innovation amidst global uncertainties through past Five-Year Plan
Xinhua Headlines: China's economy shows stable growth trend with positive factors accumulating
Xinhua Headlines: CPC plenum concludes, adopting recommendations for China's 15th Five-Year Plan
Chinese scientists make breakthroughs in longer-lasting, safer solid-state batteries
Chinese, African experts join force to advance collaboration on food security, agricultural modernization
Xinhua Headlines: Charting a new chapter for Asia-Pacific development through unity, responsibility
Economic Watch: FAW-Volkswagen marks 30 millionth car as China's auto confidence grows
Xi says China ready to work with Japan to build constructive, stable bilateral relations
Xi says China ready to strengthen synergy of development strategies with Thailand, share development experience in new era
Three Gorges project generates over 423 bln kWh of electricity in past five years
GLOBALink | Scholars explore global perspective on China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression
Chinese scientists conduct detailed analysis of key water source in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
China’s manufacturing continues to fuel global industry growth, promote sustainability
From Xinjiang’s desert to economic hubs: A power expressway that lights up both ends
From apothecary to Americano, traditional Chinese medicine turns into a lifestyle add-on
China, Germany to Embrace more Opportunities in Economic, Trade Operation: Chinese Premier
Ambassador Chen Shaochun visits Pai Yuek School, Temburong and attends the Ramadhan Donation Ceremony
Xinhua Headlines: Pocket parks drive urban renewal, eco-improvement efforts in China
China's expanding aviation capabilities "a very positive development," says Airbus executive
What makes China's Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites a landmark UNESCO World Heritage entry
Xinhua Headlines: Traditional Chinese culture fuels immersive summer travel fervor
Chinese business delegation holds discussions with U.S.-China Business Council, member companies
Xinhua Headlines: China's botanical garden bridges borders for biodiversity conservation
China Focus: Shenzhou-21 crew makes first public appearance after record 210-day space mission
Update: China's latest high-tech "trio" fueling export growth as innovation accelerates
Xinhua Headlines: China steps up nationwide fitness campaign to promote public health
Xinhua Headlines: Riding Asia-Pacific momentum: China, ASEAN chart new course for regional development
Xinhua Headlines: African exporters reap early benefits of China's zero-tariff treatment
Xinhua think tank report highlights global significance of China's ecological code
Xinhua Headlines: How flutters of great little birds weave together Asia-Pacific community
China Focus: China opens exhibition to preserve, bring linguistic diversity to life
Xinhua Headlines: Robot events in China highlight accelerating embodied intelligence innovation through industrial application
Xinhua Headlines: China's anti-desertification solutions contribute to a greener world
FOCUS | Rescuers make all-out efforts to conduct sweeping search at mudslide-stricken Gyirong Port
Xinhua Headlines: Xi kicks off state visit to Kyrgyzstan, hailing "golden period" of cooperation
Rescuers race against time and odds in search of survivors at mudslide-hit Gyirong Port
China ready to advance hand in hand along path of modernization with Mongolia, says Xi
Xinhua Headlines: Xi calls for SCO to strive for higher quality development, promote better global governance
Xinhua Headlines: Xi calls for deepening China-Egypt cooperation, raises Mideast proposal
Xinhua Headlines: Direct Beijing-Bucharest-Zagreb flight opens new gateway to Central, Eastern Europe
Factbox: Latest relief and rescue progress at mudslide-hit border port in China's Xizang
Xinhua Headlines: Asia-Pacific media vow responsibility, champion own voice in AI era
Hong Kong, Macao students interact with Shenzhou-23 crew from orbit during "Tiangong Class"
Xinhua Headlines-Xi Focus: Beyond classrooms: Xi inspires teachers to nurture talent for national rejuvenation
China's AI advances, inclusive governance approach gain global significance, says Polish scholar
MasterOfCrafts | Whispers of Chinese characters on ceramic glaze: A ceramic micro-calligraphy inheritor's story
Xi, Modi conduct in-depth exchange of views, agree China, India should be partners
Xinhua Headlines: Xi urges BRICS to stand on right side of history, play pioneering role
China issues world's first medical-device standard for AI-powered brain-computer interfaces
Xinhua Headlines: Beyond expo floor, AI opens new frontiers in China-ASEAN cooperation
Xinhua Headlines: China marks start of war against Japanese aggression, preserving living memories
Xinhua Headlines: From Tehran to Aichi-Nagoya, 52 years of China's rise through Asian Games
China's sea-based rocket launches advance as Haiyang builds full industrial chain
Xiplomacy: Five years on, China's Global Development Initiative delivers tangible progress
Xinhua Headlines: Fast, focused and forward-looking, China's manufacturing opens new frontier
China, U.S. agree on constructive strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity
Xinhua Headlines: Xi-Trump summit provides new strategic guidance for China-U.S. ties
Xinhua Headlines: Out of the robot classroom: China's embodied AI takes on real-world jobs
Xinhua Headlines: Xi calls for firm confidence, solid steps for China's national rejuvenation
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Leave a Comment