A steaming cup of coffee might seem like a modern-day staple for China's office workers, but its history here runs far deeper. From April 24 to 29, Guangzhou's historic Liwan district will host its annual Coffee & Food Culture Week, blending trendy brews with a 200-year-old legacy that began on its cobblestone streets.

China's first sip

In 1836, Danish trader Peter Ostrovsky opened The North Wind and Sea café on Jingyuan Street (靖远街) in Guangzhou's Shisanhang (Thirteen Hongs) district – China's first coffeehouse. Back then, the port was the Qing dynasty's sole gateway for foreign trade. Locals called the bitter drink "black wine," as noted in the Guangdong Annals: "Foreigners drink it after meals to aid digestion."

A Qing Dynasty export painting of Jingyuan Street in Guangzhou's Shisanhang.

Initially, coffee trickled in via merchant ships. Danish traders imported around 2,000 pounds of Java beans annually in the 1830s, shared among sailors and coffee shops. Some of these coffee beans were resold to ports such as Shanghai and Fuzhou through a network of traveling merchants.

By the 1840s, Chinese craftsmen began replicating Dutch-style copper grinders, laying the groundwork for Chinese coffee culture in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

A Qing Dynasty export painting of Guangzhou's Shisanhang.

A modern brew culture

In 1905, Guangzhou businessman Chen Xianyuan established the first coffee roasting workshop in Liwan, using equipment and technology from foreign trading houses. Liwan's trade networks soon spread coffee beyond Guangzhou. In 1905, merchant Chen Xianyuan opened the city's first roasting workshop using techniques from foreign traders. By 1913, Chinese-Malaysian entrepreneur Chen Huajiang successfully grew coffee in Hainan, sparking China's plantation era.

Today, Liwan's labyrinthine alleys fuse tradition and modernity: grandmothers sip herbal soups beside specialty cafés. Districts like Shamian and Yongqing Fang have become hubs for baristas and latte art.

This year's festival spotlights Yunnan's Menglian County, dubbed China's "Arabica Paradise", where coffee has thrived since 1958. Farmers and roasters will showcase beans from seed to cup.

Join the brew:The Liwan Coffee & Food Culture Week runs April 24–29 at Shangxiajiu Square (上下九广场). 

Photo | Nanfang Plus