Rednet News, September 2nd (Reporter Li Qian) On August 30th, the final of the 2026 "Coffee Tasting Changsha" Central African Coffee Festival and the 5th Barista Skills Championship · La Hua Art Sub station Competition came to an end at Sand Ship (Changsha) Outlet. Eight advanced contestants who emerged from the preliminaries engaged in the ultimate showdown. In the end, Guo Ziwen won the championship with his superb skills, Li Yun rose from the brink of resurrection and won the runner up, and Wang Lei won the third place.
The finals are highly competitive with a gathering of experts on site. After multiple rounds of intense competition, four contestants, Li Yun, Chen Zilong, Guo Ziwen, and Wang Lei, advanced to the semifinals. Among them, Li Yun's path to advancement can be regarded as the most dramatic chapter of this tournament – she was already eliminated in the second round of the preliminary round, but with the thrilling "survival" of her resurrection sign, she made a comeback and reached the semifinals, ultimately winning the runner up. From the edge of elimination to the runner up podium, this coffee training practitioner demonstrated the competitive spirit of "never giving up until the last moment" with his strength.
Champion Guo Ziwen is a coffee trainer and multiple event judges. In recent years, he has won numerous awards in top domestic latte art competitions such as PCA and TBC. In 2026, he has won multiple sub station and final championships, demonstrating strong capabilities. The runner up Li Yun holds multiple professional certifications such as PCA and SCA, and has won multiple PCA sub tournaments and domestic flower pulling competitions between 2025 and 2026. Her comeback and silver medal can be regarded as the biggest dark horse of the competition. Wang Lei, the third place winner, is the head of a coffee brand and has achieved excellent results such as winning the SIAL CUP quarterfinals and EBC Heze station championship in 2026. He is also an active disseminator of coffee culture.
After the competition, an award ceremony was held on site. Gan Xianke, Executive President and Secretary General of Hunan New Retail Industry Association, stated that latte art is the most visually impactful expression of coffee culture, and every contestant on the stage is telling their story with milk foam and coffee. He hopes to provide growth opportunities for more coffee practitioners and promote the development of the Changsha coffee industry towards a more professional and mature stage through the "Coffee Tasting Changsha" competition platform.
Outside the arena, it is equally lively. After each round of PK, citizens are invited to appreciate the latte art up close, taking photos and expressing their admiration. In the free pattern segment, the contestants pulled out lifelike shapes such as parrots and lions, which caused waves of exclamation from the scene. After the observation, all the coffee was given to the public for free to taste, and there was a long queue at the free collection area with a constant flow of people. After all the competitions ended, the members of the judging panel also performed latte art, and the exquisite coffee they made was also given to the citizens, pushing the atmosphere of the scene to a climax.
From the layers of elimination in the preliminaries to the peak showdown in the finals, from the thrilling comeback to the glory of championship coronation, every cup of latte art embodies the passion and persistence of the contestants. Thus, the 2026 "Coffee Tasting Changsha" Central African Coffee Festival and the 5th Barista Skills Championship · Flower Art Sub station Competition have come to a successful conclusion. More exciting coffee competitions and events will be launched in the future, please stay tuned.
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