Coffee Culture Week kicks off in Shanghai

The 2023 Shanghai Coffee Culture Week opened on May 13, with a variety of activities integrating industry, culture and lifestyle scheduled.

Shanghai, home to more than 8,000 coffee houses, has hosted the event since 2021. This year's Coffee Culture Week is organized by the Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Association, and will run through to June 2.

Coffee has become a key part of Shanghai culture, showcasing the city's characteristics of opening-up and inclusiveness, local officials said at a news conference in early May.

Shanghai is ramping up efforts to make coffee culture its new calling card, local officials added.

On the event's opening day, Yongpu Coffee, in collaboration with the food delivery platform Eleme and China Construction Bank, offered 30,000 cups of coffee for free.

Multiple coffee brands such as Luckin Coffee and McCafe will also provide free coffee and coupons during the event.

From May 18 to 21, West Bund International Coffee and Lifestyle Festival is taking place in Xuhui Binjiang area, involving more than 100 coffee brand outlets located along a 5-kilometer shoreline of the Huangpu River.

It is the first time that Shanghai has launched such a large coffee-themed market, organizers said. In addition to enjoying freshly brewed coffee, visitors can attend diverse activities such as exhibitions, performances and workshops to experience coffee culture.

An array of cultural sites in the city are also participating in the coffee culture week.

Sinan Mansions in downtown Shanghai is holding the Bonjour Coffee Art Fair from May 19 to 21, which has attracted some 20 coffee baristas and 80 artists.

The Shanghai History Museum will launch the Square Coffee Festival, inviting aficionados and industry experts to share their knowledge about coffee. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Books and Periodicals Distribution Association will hold a coffee-themed book fair in more than 80 stores across the city.

Organizers said they hope these events will boost the consumption of coffee and cultural products, and promote the coordinated development of the two industries.

The Shanghai Coffee Industry Summit will take place on May 26, which includes two roundtable discussions and about 10 seminars. Corporate leaders will discuss the latest consumer trends and offer their insights into hot topics.

According to data from domestic tech and retail giant Meituan, the value of China's freshly brewed coffee industry is expected to reach 15.79 billion yuan ($2.25 billion) this year. It was valued at 8.97 billion yuan in 2021.

Coffee consumption is expanding rapidly in lower-tier cities, Meituan said. Third-tier cities recorded the fastest growth of coffee shops in 2021, followed by "new first-tier cities" such as Suzhou in Jiangsu province and Chengdu in Sichuan province.