Editor's Note

The "Flowers Bridge the World, Coffee Links the Silk Road" South & Southeast Asia International Communication Program is currently underway. As one of the program's four core components, the "Kunming Coffee, Global Vibe": International Coffee Carnival in the Spring City draws on Kunming's strategic location and Yunnan's well-established coffee industry to foster connections across borders through coffee, creating an international platform for industrial cooperation and cultural exchange.

From coffee plantations in remote border regions to the global stage of professional coffee competitions, and from neighborhood cafés to standardized roasting facilities, international coffee entrepreneurs have played an active role in Yunnan's transition to specialty coffee. Having traveled from around the world to establish themselves in Kunming, the Spring City, they connect different segments of the coffee value chain with markets and resources both in China and overseas. They have witnessed and helped drive the transformation of Yunnan coffee from a bulk commodity into a recognized player in the specialty coffee industry. In doing so, they have become both advocates for Yunnan coffee on the international stage and bridges for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

Starting today, we are launching a series of interviews with international coffee entrepreneurs and industry professionals who have built their careers in Kunming. Through their entrepreneurial experiences and industry insights, the series will trace the evolution and upgrading of Yunnan's coffee industry, while highlighting Kunming's openness, inclusiveness, and growing vitality as a hub for international communication.

Inside Manlao River Coffee shop nestled in the lush greenery of Jinbi Park, Mark Respinger, CEO of the brand, is brewing a pour-over. As the slender spout of the kettle tilts gently, hot water spreads evenly over the grounds, a delicate bloom forms, and a clean, mellow nutty aroma drifts through the air.

Gazing down at the smooth coffee bed, Mark speaks with quiet conviction: "Kunming is the heart of Yunnan coffee and Yunnan is the heart of Chinese coffee — 97% or more of China's coffee is produced in Yunnan province. For me, this is the ideal place to be."

Mark brewing pour-over coffee. Photo by Li Tao.

Mark Respinger, an Australian who has lived in Kunming for many years, runs a roasting factory at the city’s 871 Cultural and Creative Park. Through Manlao River Coffee, he works with the company to develop Yunnan specialty coffee and has brought local beans to markets across China and overseas.

"Living Where Others Come for Vacation"

When asked why he chose Kunming, Mark gives a straightforward answer: it is a place where he can build both a life and a career.

"Kunming is great in every way. The weather is great, the food is also great, the people are great, and the local business environment is really good." He calls Kunming a "holiday town," and his reasoning is simple: "When you live where other people are spending their holidays to go, you've really found somewhere special."

His everyday life unfolds amid beautiful scenery. His home sits beside Waterfall Park, where opening the window in the morning reveals greenery and water views. The coffee shop is in Jinbi Park, a quiet retreat in the heart of the city. The roasting factory is in the 871 Cultural and Creative Park — a park converted from old factory buildings with open terraces where guests can sit and savor their coffee at a leisurely pace.

A pleasant quality of life drew him in, but what truly kept him here is the strength of Kunming’s coffee industry. "In specialty coffee, being close to the producing region is the biggest advantage," Mark says. This is the main reason he has built his career in Kunming.

Mark at work. Photo by Li Tao.

"Let the World See Yunnan Coffee"

Many people don't realize that Manlao River is not a foreign brand but a homegrown Yunnan coffee brand. In the Dai language, "Manlao River" means "the river with sweet-tasting water." The river valley has a mild climate and fertile soil, yielding excellent coffee and sustaining the local community.

In the 1990s, a wave of resettled farmers made their homes here, and coffee gradually became a pillar of the local economy. Drawing on the region’s exceptional natural advantages as a coffee-growing area, Manlao River Coffee began in the fields, steadily deepened its work, and step by step built a mature, fully integrated coffee value chain.

Manlao River Coffee. Photo by Li Tao.

"Manlao River is one of the first local Yunnan coffee brands," Mark says. He joined the company much later. "This is a company that's been built from the farm all the way through to the roastery and to the coffee shop that we have today — it has built a complete industrial chain."

With a complete industrial chain in place, Yunnan coffee has gained the confidence to go global. American food writer Florence Fabricant once wrote in The New York Times that Manlao River Coffee boasts "with a full-bodied result that had pleasing bitter chocolate notes." In 2012, Manlao River Coffee beans were selected for the World Barista Championship bean catalog, making them among the earliest Yunnan coffees to appear on the international professional stage.

Screenshot of The New York Times report.

"Our idea in doing this is simple — take Yunnan coffee to the world," Mark says. In the past, the outside world knew little about Yunnan coffee. To change that, he and his team have long been deeply involved in global professional coffee competitions and industry exchanges, using tangible quality to prove that Yunnan coffee has what it takes to compete in the specialty-coffee market and can establish a firm foothold and earn its place in the international specialty coffee arena.

"I Can Clearly Feel the Growth of the Coffee Farming Community"

Having spent so many years in the coffee industry, Mark has watched Yunnan coffee transform before his eyes.

"When I first came to Yunnan and worked in coffee, it was nothing like it today," he recalls. In the early years, most Yunnan coffee was exported as low-priced commodity raw material. "Back then, most of the coffee in Yunnan was being sent overseas as bulk commercial coffee — no one would associate it with specialty coffee."

The change came quickly. In 2025, Yunnan ranked first nationwide in coffee planting area, green bean production, and agricultural output value, with products sold to 43 countries and regions. The share of high-quality green beans rose from 8 percent in 2021 to 41.7 percent and the deep-processing rate increased from 20 percent to 85 percent.

Mark being interviewed at the Manlao River Coffee. Photo by Li Tao.

Behind these numbers are real changes in the producing regions. "Today's Yunnan is no longer the old story of a single variety and traditional processing," Mark says. The region has independently bred 22 coffee varieties — Typica, Bourbon, and Geisha are all grown here — and new processing methods such as honey processing and anaerobic fermentation are becoming increasingly common, making the flavor profiles of the beans far richer than before.

What moves him most is the coffee farmers. "I can clearly feel the growth of the coffee farming community," Mark says. A new generation of young farmers has returned home, knowledgeable about both the land and technology. "Now, even in the most remote farms in Yunnan, you can drink exceptionally high-quality coffee. That was hard to imagine in the past."

International peers can taste this change too. Francisco Gonzales, co-founder of Nomad Coffee in Barcelona, discovered during a blind tasting that the best coffee on the table came from Yunnan, with flavors reminding him of "green apple, sugarcane, and dates." In Mark's view, with more varieties and newer processing methods, Yunnan is becoming a "new frontier" for roasters seeking distinctive flavors.

The growth of the domestic market has also given the industry more confidence. "There's so much good specialty coffee coming out of Yunnan, and there's also really strong domestic demand in China for specialty coffee," Mark says. "We have the opportunity now for Yunnan coffee to basically be in the hands of Chinese people. And I think that's where it should be. This is a local coffee and we're producing it for people in China, which is I think a great testament to the journey that coffee has been on."

"In China, If You Don't Innovate, You Can't Stand Firm"

Having long operated between Chinese and foreign coffee markets, Mark has a clear understanding of Chinese consumers.

"In Australia, we're very much still influenced by the Italian coffee culture, milk-based drinks and espresso, very traditional," he compares. "Here in China, people are much more willing to try new things and experiment with new blends, new drinks, new flavor combinations."

Mark reviewing Manlao River Coffee product. Photo by Li Tao.

Different markets call for different strategies. "In Australia, you can operate steadily with a traditional model, but not in China," Mark says plainly. "I think to survive in China, you really need to be always pushing."

Looking ahead, Mark remains enthusiastic about the future. "I definitely haven't gone through my whole idea list yet," he shares. Going forward, he will continue to root himself in Kunming and deepen his engagement with Yunnan, continuously tapping the potential of the local coffee industry, carrying forward the vision of "Kunminh Coffee Global Vive", and bringing more high-quality Yunnan specialty coffee into the public eye and to every corner of the globe.

Click here to view the Chinese report

(Editors: Flynn, Rachel)