Hongqiao coffee culture festival brews perfect blend of cooperation
The two-week Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival was held in Minhang in late May.
Shanghai continues to play a pivotal role in China's coffee industry, not only with a booming consumption scene, but also as a significant platform that links industry players, service providers and stakeholders.
The growing trend was confirmed during recent industry forums and coffee-related events held in Minhang District, as industry players, coffee lovers and service providers gathered and exchanged their enthusiasm for the beverage.
The two-week Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival was held in late May with a series of forums, bazaars, and coffee competitions to enhance cultural and commercial exchanges.
An important part of the festival was the 2025 Global Coffee Industry Hongqiao Forum, which was held on May 16 at the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center.
The 2025 China Urban Coffee Development Report was unveiled at the forum. The output value of the industry reached 313.3 billion yuan (US$43.6 billion) in 2024, an 18.1 percent increase from the previous year.
Shanghai, dubbed as the coffee capital of the country, has 9,115 cafes, topping all domestic cities.
The average annual coffee consumption per person in China exceeded 20 cups, reflecting a growing national enthusiasm for the beverage.
Over a dozen guest speakers gave speeches and roundtable discussions were held around topics such as the globalization of Chinese coffee brands, and the new trends and opportunities in coffee retail consumption with first-hand in-depth industry insights.
The preliminary phase of the "Taste of China" Global Specialty Green Coffee Bean Competition also launched.
Community baristas
The Hongqiao International Coffee Port gathers coffee products from 60 countries, as well as coffee beans from 47 "Belt and Road" countries, offering a wider choice for industry players sourcing raw materials for niche tastes.
It also offers vocational training sessions for housewives which allow them to learn coffee making skills and become community baristas.
During the forum, the Hongqiao International Coffee Industry Alliance was established by eight enterprises, industry players and service providers from the Yangtze River Delta region to fully leverage the regional advantage and enhance competitiveness of local brands.
It seeks to leverage the Hongqiao International Coffee Port, which supplies nearly half of the city's coffee beans, and fosters a comprehensive "seed to cup" ecosystem.
Coffee has also served as a medium to link visitors with the community.
From May 21-25, the "First Cup of Coffee upon Arriving in Shanghai" event was staged at Hongqiao International Airport to offer a warm surprise for travelers.
Now in its third year, the coffee giveaway has expanded to include the airport's Terminal 2, in addition to its regular spot at Hongqiao Railway Station.
Nearly 5,000 cups of free coffee have been given away over the past three years and it has become a symbol of the city's hospitality showcasing Shanghai's welcoming spirit to travelers from around the world.
The coffee festival also marked a special occasion for Shanghai to build deeper relationship with southwest China's Yunnan Province with tighter collaboration beyond the coffee industry.
Yunnan small beans
A special promotional event for Yunnan's Baoshan coffee was held to feature not only the coffee industry, but also tourism resources, natural landscape and leisure trips.
Baoshan is a prefecture-level city in western Yunnan with decades of coffee planting history, and local authorities hope to leverage its rich coffee-related resources as well as unique volcanic geological wonders and hot springs landscape to attract visitors and industry collaborators.
A series of combo packages covering scenic spots, accommodations, coffee study tours, hot springs leisure tours and hiking tours were unveiled.
The Baoshan small coffee, black tea and specialty agricultural products were featured at a special bazaar held at Longfor Shanghai Hongqiao Paradise Walk shopping center. These new initiatives are aimed at creating unique coffee-themed tourism routes, fostering regional cooperation and cultural exchanges.
