Covering 679,000 mu (45,266 hectares) and producing 58,500 metric tons of coffee annually — nearly half of China's total output — Pu'er benefits from its prime location in the world's "coffee belt", ideal for cultivating Arabica beans.

"Pu'er is known as the 'Paradise of Arabica' in China," says Liu. "Accounting for half of China's coffee acreage and output, our products established a leading industry edge."

During the coffee festival, the Pu'er Coffee Meets Shanghai promotion campaign, co-organized by the Pu'er municipal government and the Shanghai office of the Yunnan province government, marked a milestone for Yunnan's premium coffee to expand globally. The three-day event featured themed exhibitions, e-commerce livestreams, cultural workshops, and tourism promotions, showcasing Pu'er's coffee prowess.

Leveraging its heritage as the birthplace of the Ancient Tea Horse Road in Yunnan province, Pu'er has developed unique tea-coffee fusion experiences, such as the "Pu'er Tea Latte", a signature drink blending local coffee with Pu'er tea extracts, drawing wide acclaim at the festival. "In Pu'er, we say 'coffee in one hand, tea in the other', creating innovative tourism routes and products that merge both cultures," Liu adds.

Liu further states that the Shanghai Coffee Festival is just the first stop for Pu'er in going global. "Next, we will promote in places like Beijing, Changsha in Hunan province, Wuhan in Hubei province, and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, and more global destinations."

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn