Pu’er Coffee

 When the aroma of coffee fills the cabin air, the story of Yunnan’s coffee begins to unfold along the flight path — an innovative “coffee + cultural tourism” experiment that transcends industry boundaries and redefines consumer experience. On October 22, 2025, China Eastern Airlines flight MU5814 — a “Yunnan Coffee Theme Flight” jointly created by Starbucks China and China Eastern — took off smoothly from Shanghai Hongqiao and landed in Kunming Changshui. This was not only the first collaboration between the two brands in the “coffee + air travel” domain, but also marked a new phase of immersive and experiential integration between coffee culture and cultural tourism. 01. Enjoying Coffee at 30,000 Feet: A Cultural Journey in the Sky With the theme “Every Cup, From Yunnan” , this special flight transformed the cabin into a mobile exhibition of Yunnan’s coffee culture. Illustrated panels above the luggage compartments depicted the full life cycle of coffee beans — from the coffe...

 In recent years, China has emerged as one of the world’s most important coffee-consuming and producing nations. Thanks to its exceptional natural conditions, strong industrial foundation, and robust research capabilities, Yunnan’s Dehong Prefecture has become one of the first coffee-growing regions in China. Known internationally for its “Dehong Coffee,” the region’s plantations are now full of ripe red cherries as the harvest season arrives once again. In Nongxian Village of Ruili—where small coffee beans were first introduced in 1893, marking the start of China’s century-long coffee history—a remarkable transformation is underway: from “the hometown of Chinese coffee” to a “genetic resource treasure trove.” 01 Fifteen Years of Scientific Perseverance: Building China’s Coffee “Chip Factory” As one of the earliest regions in Yunnan to cultivate coffee, Dehong’s coffee industry has a deep and rich legacy. The crop was first introduced in 1893 and began industrial development in...

 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.” 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 go...