Menglian coffee: From tiny seedlings to cups brimming with rich aroma

Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County in Pu'er southwest China's Yunnan Province, sits on the Tropic of Cancer's prime coffee belt.

With 120,000 mu (approximately 8,000 hectares) of coffee plantations, premium varieties like Gesha and Sarchim have taken root and thrived here. The county has a complete "seed-to-cup" supply chain, integrating seedling cultivation, fresh cherry processing and specialty roasting — all under one streamlined operation.

Thanks to a collaborative model linking enterprises, cooperatives, village collectives and coffee farmers, the industry's benefits reach communities across the county. These humble coffee beans have become "golden beans," a source of real income for farming families along the border.