I Am a ‘Yunnan Person’: I Agree with Coffee in the Left Hand and Tea in the Right Hand

At a Glance (China Coffee Network): From Kunming's alley cafes to Pu'er's ancient tea forests and Lincang's wild coffee, Yunnan lets you hold coffee in one hand and tea in the other—a relaxation found nowhere else.

The sixth day of the National Day holiday

If you are still in Yunnan

the scenery has probably already settled in your heart

and your footsteps have begun to tire a little

then don’t rush on to the next leg of the journey

find a place to sit down

a cup of coffee in your left hand, a cup of tea in your right

let the sunlight rest a while on your shoulder

let the wind pass slowly by your ear

think of nothing at all

just like the Yunnan people do

spend a day that is in no hurry

In Kunming

such ease is hidden in the streets and alleys

by Cuihu Lake, on Wenlin Street, on Xunjin Street

…

pour-over shops stand next to old teahouses

the new and the old flavors separated by just a door

freshly roasted small-grain coffee gives off its aroma

the tea in the lidded bowl glows golden and clear

You don’t need an itinerary

nor do you need to seek out any particular shop

you simply stumble upon one as you wander

push the door open, settle by the window

watch the barista pour the water

and watch the steam rise in the teahouse

and the whole afternoon drifts by

The aroma of coffee and the fragrance of tea

here are not an either-or choice

but wonderfully blend into one another

Arriving in Dali

the experience becomes “sipping while seated in the scenery”

coffee carts by Erhai Lake put up their parasols

the owner brews coffee at an unhurried pace

music lingers by your ear

the wind carries the coffee aroma now near, now far

Turn and step into a Bai courtyard

where an old woman is roasting tea

the leaves are roasted over charcoal in an earthen pot until fragrant

pour in the boiling water

with a sizzle, the room fills with the scent of tea

If you come to Baoshan

you can taste both coffee and tea right from their source

in the coffee estates of Lujiangba

you can pick a coffee cherry with your own hands

and follow the estate owner through sun-drying and washing

watch the beans slowly dry on the raised beds

take part in a fun cupping session

a few cups laid out for slow tasting

and for the first time you will truly taste

the words “citrus,” “nuts,” “brown sugar”

The tea gardens of Changning

curl around the hillside like terraced fields

tier upon tier

green in layered shades

at night, stay at a tea farmer’s home

sip roasted tea by the fire pit

as the elders tell old tales of plucking and processing tea

in that moment

firelight flickers at the rim of the cup, and the chirp of insects stretches the night

time itself slows down

If you ask where

the ease of “coffee in the left hand, tea in the right” fits best

then Pu’er must be mentioned

step into Jingmai Mountain

the mist in the ancient tea forest has not yet lifted

thousand-year-old tea trees grow right at the edge of the village

the air is mixed with

the scent of tea and the smell of damp wood

Mornings: pluck fresh leaves on the tea mountain

afternoons: drink pour-over at the estate

sit on the terrace

ancient-tree tea in the left hand, Pu’er coffee in the right

mountain wind passes between the tea forest and the coffee plantation

this land always lets your taste buds

find their fullest satisfaction

And Lincang

is the happy home of tea connoisseurs

with not only Bingdao and Xigui

these haloed, treasured teas

but even a casual cup of “everyday tea” brewed by a tea farmer

carries an unassuming richness and sweetness

that is unforgettable

Lincang’s coffee is full of wild, mountain character

grown on the slopes, dried by the village

after roasting and pour-over

the aromas of nuts, caramel, and dark berries

well up directly

what you drink is the spirit of the mountain, and also an everyday flavor

no influencer filter

yet one sip hooks you

The National Day holiday is drawing to a close

in the remaining two days

find a small shop in Yunnan and sit a while

let the aroma arrange your time for you

let the wind decide your next stop

you will discover

coffee in the left hand, tea in the right

is neither a check-in pose nor a gimmick

but a relaxation unique to Yunnan

Coordination: Pu Meiling, Bao Tao, Mu Xu

Planning: Li Xi

Design: Bao Ziqian

Original title: “I Am a ‘Yunnan Person’; I Agree with Coffee in the Left Hand and Tea in the Right Hand”

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