Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee: Grown in the Mountains, Yet Unknown

 This is China’s only coffee to ever win the Eureka Gold Award, hailed by international baristas as a “gem of quality.” Yet, the journey of this coffee bean—from the field to the cup—has long faced the challenge of being “hidden in remote mountains, unnoticed by the world.” On one hand, new coffee estates are springing up rapidly; on the other, Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee’s market share remains stubbornly low. To explore solutions for the industry, visits were made to local estates and companies, seeking to understand the tension between “premium genetics” and “market difficulties.”

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Challenges for New Estates: Avoiding Photo-Op Backdrops and Overcoming Homogeneity

At the recently opened Gongjiang Coffee Estate, the lush surrounding mountains and meticulously designed landscapes create a welcoming impression—every snapshot looks like a perfect photo. But walking through the estate, visitors are few, and lively scenes exist only in pictures.

“The environment and coffee taste are good, but it’s not much different from the estate I visited yesterday—feels a bit unoriginal,” said Li Haoran, a visitor from out of town. Another visitor, Wang Le, expressed regret that, despite traveling a long way, he couldn’t experience picking coffee beans firsthand, “It lacks a real sense of connection with coffee.”

Facing such feedback, estate manager He Wenjun admitted that the estate is still in its early stages. “We’ve already invested over 35 million RMB, but due to location and seasonal factors, visitor numbers remain low. Most guests come for the scenery, and repeat visits are rare.”

In fact, Gongjiang’s dilemma is not unique. Many newly established coffee estates in Baoshan face the same high-investment, low-traffic problem: beautiful environments attract first-time visitors, but fail to retain those seeking deeper experiences; repetitive offerings turn estates into mere photo backdrops. Overcoming homogeneity has become essential for sustained visitor engagement.

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Old Estates Attempt Solutions: From “Sightseeing” to “Coffee Play,” Turning Traffic into Retention

Unlike the uncertainty of new estates, the long-established Bitton Coffee Culture Park has found a differentiated path—transforming visitors from spectators into participants.

“Guests can handpick coffee cherries, follow us through hulling, roasting, grinding, and finally brew their own cup of coffee,” explained sales manager Wang Youfang at the estate’s harvest experience site. Visitor Long Mengxing participated with his child, saying, “This experience is unique—it lets children truly understand coffee culture.”

This five-year refined experience has indeed increased visitor engagement, yet Wang Youfang remains concerned: “Many come for the experience, but when asked ‘Which coffee variety does Bitton grow?’ less than 10% can answer ‘Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee,’ let alone specialty varieties like Gesha or Typica. A single estate alone can’t build the brand.” Even satisfied visitors rarely translate into follow-up purchases. Many explore nearby villages or try local snacks, but lodging occupancy remains low—linking the estate with surrounding villages has yet to generate sustained spending.

“The estate brings traffic, but how do we turn traffic into retention and ensure coffee farmers truly benefit?” said Yang Guangyin, deputy mayor of Lujiang Town, Longyang District, Baoshan. “We are guiding the establishment of a ‘benefit-sharing mechanism,’ integrating planting, processing, and tourism so that industry profits cover more people.”

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Market Puzzle: High Quality but Few Customers—Why Don’t Consumers Buy?

At Bitton Coffee’s city flagship store, visitors can sample drinks made from authentic Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee beans, yet few patrons are seen. Meanwhile, nearby chain coffee stores are consistently busy. This stark contrast highlights the market dilemma of Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee.

“Baoshan is known as a coffee-producing region, and the quality is good, but chains are cheaper and faster,” said consumer Ms. Gu. Another consumer, Mr. Gao, noted that local pour-over coffee tastes good, but prices are high, and specialty stores are too few for frequent visits.

“We use only premium coffee beans, so the raw material cost is much higher than ordinary beans,” admitted Liu Li, head of Bitton Coffee Culture Museum. “Consumers can’t see the quality difference behind the beans, so they’re reluctant to pay higher prices. Even under pressure, we won’t compromise on quality—we want to preserve the authentic Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee flavor.”

The quality advantage has yet to translate into market success, largely due to “insufficient brand recognition.” There is no unified understanding of Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee’s value, nor enough trust support, leaving local businesses that uphold quality struggling in competition.

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Path to Breakthrough: Full-Chain Efforts from “Standards” to “Influence”

To give Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee its due recognition, local market regulators have already taken action. “We regularly inspect enterprises approved to use the geographic indication, covering traceability, production processes, quality control, and labeling,” explained Wang Qinggui of the Baoshan Market Supervision Bureau. Baoshan has built a full-chain regulatory system—pre-production review, process monitoring, and post-production enforcement—with 268 standards covering planting, processing, and testing, 21 entities authorized to use the GI label, and over 600 registered coffee trademarks.

This system essentially gives Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee a “quality ID,” but moving from “standards” to “market” requires additional momentum.

“We’ve held two World Specialty Coffee Industry Development Conferences, promoting Baoshan coffee internationally through the Belt and Road Initiative. More industry professionals from abroad are paying attention, and brand awareness is gradually improving,” said Li Xiaobo, executive president of Baoshan Coffee Industry Association.

Yang Liben, director of Baoshan Agricultural and Rural Bureau, outlined the industry development strategy: “Specialty production and integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors are key. We need to strengthen processing, boost planting, and promote tourism—online and offline, domestic and international. The goal is to let more people know and love Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee, making it ‘rustically rich’ yet uniquely charming.”

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From “Trending” to “Sustained Success”: Full-Chain Collaboration for Shared Prosperity

From breaking homogeneity in estates to reshaping brand value, Baoshan Small-Bean Coffee’s path to breakthrough has never relied on a single point of effort—it requires full-chain collaboration. Estates need to shift from selling products and scenery to offering experiences and culture, serving as offline experience centers for regional branding. At the industry level, standards must move from paper to the field, taking the brand from origin to market, fostering collective growth.

When consumers are willing to pay for the terroir, culture, and standards behind a cup of coffee, Baoshan coffee’s vibrant local charm can truly convert into tangible income for locals. This path—from “viral trend” to long-lasting brand—represents a route toward shared prosperity.