Coffee drives integrated cultural, tourism, business and rural development in Fengxian

Shanghai's Fengxian district hosts the 2025 Coffee Life Festival from May to November, connected to the 2025 Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival to create a coffee-driven cultural and tourism ecosystem and highlight rural vitalization through industry innovation and entrepreneurship.

The month-long program centers on Qingcun town as the main location, with branch sites in Fengpu, Zhelin, and Nanqiao, along with dozens of other towns hosting coffee-themed events to encourage districtwide participation and interest.

The 2025 Coffee Life Festival. [Photo/WeChat ID: fengxian310226]

"Xian Xiao Cheng" coffee. [Photo/WeChat ID: fengxian310226]

Now entering its fourth edition, the festival integrates coffee, reading, and lifestyle experiences to create immersive leisure environments and a new regional cultural and tourism identity, helping to balance urban and rural resource flows and boost local economic growth.

Organizers say the main site attracted more than 1,000 visitors in a single day, while Nanqiao town exceeded 10,000 and Fengpu town neared 30,000. Officials reported that the festival boosted local spending by about 30 percent.

Coffee festival explores new modes in the nearby countryside. [Photo/WeChat ID: fengxian310226]

Symphonic performances at the festival. [Photo/WeChat ID: fengxian310226]

The program combines coffee with local farm produce, symphonic performances, and hands-on workshops — such as coffee grounds crafts, succulent planting, and scent sachet DIY — while Zhelin town hosts AI demonstrations and Nanqiao town conducts drone coffee delivery trials.

A group of children is waiting to taste coffee. [Photo/WeChat ID: fengxian310226]

Young baristas are returning to village to open cafes, village officials livestream local products, and district leaders plan to expand coffee culture long-term to further stimulate consumption, increase incomes and enhance visitor services.