Brief (coffeeyo.com): In a modest coffee house tucked by Wuhan’s Northwest Lake, 70-year-old Taiwan native He Jianzhong has spent 25 years brewing more than coffee — he has built a warm community where regulars, “coffee second-generation” kids and fellow Taiwan entrepreneurs gather as family.
This is a coffee house “hidden” by the lakeside of Wuhan’s Northwest Lake. Slightly worn with age, it is still frequently pushed open by familiar faces. The owner and a customer exchange a smile; without a word, he intuitively brews the coffee the regular always orders.
The owner, He Jianzhong, is 70 this year and hails from Taipei; his father was a native of Huangpi, Wuhan. In 1988 he returned to Wuhan with his father to visit relatives and try his hand at business. In 1997, seeing that Wuhan’s specialty-coffee market was still a blank slate, he went back to Taipei to study roasting and brewing. Four years later he returned to Wuhan and opened this 40-square-meter shop specializing in coffee beans.
When the shop first opened, He often invited neighbors to taste his coffee for free, explaining the origins and flavor profiles of the beans. Word of mouth slowly spread, and at the suggestion of regulars he added in-store seating; the little shop gradually became a daily gathering spot for the neighborhood. Over 25 years, new-style coffee shops have sprung up all over Wuhan, yet He has stuck to hand-brewing with a siphon pot, preserving coffee’s true character.
On August 12, Taiwan compatriot He Jianzhong (second from left) chats with customers at the coffee house. Photo by Zheng Ziyan.
On the photo wall, a camping group photo of He with several young people stands out. Zhang Jiashan, a Taiwan daughter-in-law settled in Wuhan, has been a regular for over a decade. “When we go out, we love to bring Big Brother He along — he’s like the head of the family; the vibe is just better with him there,” she says.
This coffee house is also Zhang’s window for getting to know Wuhan. Her renovation workers and dog-walking buddies all met here. “When something hard comes up, everyone helps out like old neighbors.”
Every winter and summer break, the regulars’ children drop by, calling out “Grandpa” affectionately and naturally, and even volunteering to help greet guests. He jokingly calls them the “coffee second generation,” and whenever he travels he never forgets to bring the kids little gifts.
Many of these “coffee second generation” have gone off to study and work in far-flung places, yet Wuhan is their first stop on returning. From exam prep to studying abroad to work, a boy nicknamed “Pangpang” has always been willing to come here to share the bittersweet of his life’s journey. “Watching them grow up fills me with joy,” He says.
For Cao Liang, who lives near the coffee house, it is a “happy home” for settling his emotions. “Big Brother He has both the courage to go all in and the steady, pure craftsmanship of an artisan. He taught me not to be restless, not to overthink, but to live each moment of happy life well,” he says.
On August 12, He Jianzhong at his shop. The coffee house walls are covered with many photographs. Photo by China News Service reporter Wu Yili.
The coffee house also keeps welcoming new friends. Often customers come specifically because the owner is from Taiwan, exchanging thoughts on the flavors of Taiwanese oyster omelets and braised pork rice, chatting about the customs and people on both sides of the strait. Many in the coffee trade and Taiwan compatriots newly venturing into business on the mainland often stop by to “pick up tips.”
Customers sit around in lively conversation, a small dog dozes at their feet, and the aroma of coffee from the siphon pot fills the little room — this warm, happy scene plays out day after day. He says he wants to keep guarding this small shop, brewing this pot of coffee — concentrated with warmth and friendship — into more people’s everyday lives. (End)
Source: China News Service (Wuhan), reporter Wu Yili.
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