Guiyang brews new tourism appeal with coffee, craft beer and tea

A barista makes coffee at Rock Black coffee shop in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Jiequan)

Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, is home to more than 3,000 coffee shops and over 1,200 craft beer bars, while local tea brands like Quchashan have gained widespread popularity. Together, this emerging trio of coffee, craft beer and new-style tea is reshaping the city's cultural tourism landscape.

Guiyang continues to explore how to integrate local flavors with this new trio, create new consumption scenarios, activate consumer vitality, and showcase the city's spirit of openness, innovation, and inclusiveness.

A staff member prepares a new-style tea drink using matcha from Tongren in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Tu Min)

At Rock Black, a coffee shop tucked inside an old residential building in Guiyang, barista Tang Jiaxin can often be found experimenting with new flavor combinations.

"We crush fresh local Sichuan peppercorns by hand and blend them with freshly squeezed Duyun grape juice, nuts and coffee to create a flavor that melds sweet fruit with the tingling sensation of peppercorns," Tang explained. Tang's team has spent over two months refining this creation.

Photo shows roasted bean products at Rock Black coffee shop in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Jiequan)

Local ingredients, including Roxburgh rose fruit, fish mint and mountain pepper, have all found their way into coffee, creating distinctive regional flavors.

"Since 2014, our brand has drawn on the city's rich coffee culture to pursue flavor innovation," said Lei Ming, the shop's owner. With daily sales now exceeding 200 cups, the shop offers visitors an authentic taste of Guizhou in every cup.

Similarly, craft breweries and tea brands in Guiyang have incorporated local ingredients into their products. For instance, Quchashan uses Roxburgh rose fruit and matcha from Tongren.

In late November, the Guiyang-based craft brewery TripSmith won a gold medal with its Nature Wild Strawberry Barrel-Aged Beer — made with premium strawberries and apricots from Guizhou — at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge in Belgium.

Tourists enjoy the new "three major" offerings — coffee, craft beer and new-style tea beverages — in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Huang Xiaotao)

The number and density of Guiyang's coffee shops, craft breweries and new tea drink outlets continue to grow. With one coffee shop for every 2,000 residents, Guiyang ranks among the Chinese cities with the highest density of coffee shops. Several world and national champions in coffee roasting hail from the city.

"You get morning coffee, afternoon tea and evening craft beer all in one place. You can also browse markets, enjoy stand-up comedy shows and skateboard. It's absolutely delightful," said resident Ke Zhenlin, who recently visited the AYDC creative block, a popular destination for the city's trendy beverage trio.

Oak barrels storing craft beer are neatly arranged at the warehouse of TripSmith, a craft brewery in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Jiequan)

"The block uses this trio as a bridge to develop new business models that integrate culture, art, sports and other elements. Through accessible, immersive experiences, people can connect deeply with Guiyang's way of life and local culture, starting with just a beverage," said Dong Jie, assistant to the president of AYDC.

By creating spaces, hosting events and integrating diverse settings, Guiyang has transformed these sectors into engines of cultural tourism and connectors of tourism resources.

In the first three quarters of this year, Guiyang's emerging sectors, including coffee and new-style tea drinks, grew 52.8 percent. These sectors have become increasingly embedded in daily urban life, achieving a shift from merely selling beverages to offering experiences, cultural symbols and lifestyles, thereby unlocking consumer vitality.

A bartender pours craft beer at a brewery in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Jiequan)

In 2025, Guiyang's coffee consumption grew at an average annual rate of 18 percent, making it one of China's fastest-growing coffee markets.

Meanwhile, these beverage brands complement traditional attractions like Jiaxiu Tower and Qingyan ancient town, as well as authentic local cuisine, contributing to a thriving cultural tourism ecosystem in Guiyang.

From January to August this year, domestic tourist arrivals in Guiyang increased 9.6 percent year on year, while total tourism spending rose 9.8 percent from the same period last year.

The expansion and upgrading of consumption have led to the development of well-established industrial systems for these three sectors.

Shen Gaobin, the founder of a brewery in Guiyang, explained that his brand combines traditional brewing techniques with modern biotechnology to develop distinctive fermentation and canning processes. By creating differentiated products using local products like Roxburgh rose and sour soup, the brewery has built a comprehensive supply chain.

Photo shows visitors at a store in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Jiequan)

It now produces 3,700 tonnes annually, with an annual output value exceeding 48 million yuan ($6.8 million). In addition to two brick-and-mortar stores, the brewery maintains long-term partnerships with over 70 bars across the province.

In June, Quchashan opened its first store in east China's Zhejiang Province, receiving over 3,000 online orders on the opening day. The brand currently operates 58 stores nationwide, including 35 locations in major cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu.

In October, Guiyang issued trial guidelines to promote the coffee industry in the city's Guian New Area, aiming to add 600 new coffee businesses by 2027.