KUNMING, March 3 — As the coffee harvesting season commences, Pu'er, a city in Yunnan Province recognized as China's coffee capital, is bustling with activity and the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The city has emerged as a destination that combines coffee culture with tourism, featuring coffee-themed manors, streets, and cultural festivals.

Recent policy initiatives, notably China's 'No. 1 central document' for 2025 released in late February, emphasize the integration of rural culture and tourism.

This strategy aims to promote rural revitalization through cultural industries, with coffee tourism positioned as a vital element in this development.

Situated along the Tropic of Cancer, Pu'er stands as a principal coffee producer within China, generating 58,000 tonnes of raw coffee beans during the 2023-2024 harvest period, thereby maintaining its status as the country's leading coffee producer.

Among the notable attractions in the region, the Elephant Coffee Manor offers visitors a unique experience where they can enjoy premium coffee while observing wild Asian elephants in their natural habitat.

Huang Daxiang, a coffee enthusiast and investor in the manor, highlighted the memorable experience of enjoying coffee in such a picturesque setting.

Tourists are actively engaging with the coffee industry; for instance, Ma Li from Shanghai participated in coffee fruit picking at one of the manors and expressed satisfaction with learning about the coffee cultivation process.

The manor features various interactive experiences, including coffee soap making and crafting with coffee beans, further immersing visitors in the local coffee culture.

Pu'er has developed over 20 premium coffee manors, five of which have been recognized at the provincial level for their contributions to coffee culture and tourism integration.

Lou Yuqiang, an associate researcher at the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, expressed that the enhancement of high-quality coffee manors represents a significant advancement for the industry and extends the coffee industry chain.

In addition to the manors, Pu'er has been hosting coffee fairs and events that showcase local and national coffee brands alongside cultural performances.

These events serve as platforms for knowledge exchange among coffee enthusiasts.

For example, during a recent coffee-themed fair aligned with an international brewing competition in the Menglian Dai-Lahu-Va Autonomous County, participant Zhang Xuanyu noted the diverse flavors he experienced and the opportunity to connect with fellow coffee lovers globally.

During the recent Spring Festival holiday, spanning from January 28 to February 4, Pu'er welcomed 3.25 million tourists, marking a 13.71 percent increase compared to the previous year, with a tourism revenue increase of 13.21 percent to approximately 3.44 billion yuan (around 480 million USD).

Zhang Qiying, deputy director of Pu'er’s culture and tourism bureau, affirmed that the synergy between coffee and tourism is establishing a new hallmark for the city’s tourism landscape.