While tea is the most popular beverage in most of China, there is a large local native coffee culture here in Hainan. Coffee grows well in the volcanic soil and tropical climate here, and large coffee plantations can now be found on the island, where you can see coffee beans ripening on the bush!
Coffee arrived in Hainan in the 1940s when Chinese Indonesian Chen Xianzhang introduced robusta coffee beans to the Fushan area of Chengmai county in northern Hainan. In southeastern Hainan, the town of Xinglong has more than 30 coffee shops that offer authentic Southeast Asian snacks. Hainan coffee candy, ground coffee, and coffee beans are all popular gifts and souvenirs for visitors to the province.
In many of Hainan’s small towns, locals brew coffee in big iron kettles and drain it through cotton fabric or iron filters. The coffee is often served with a large helping of sugar syrup and or coconut milk on the side, which can be added according to the taste of the customer.
A local man drinking coffee at a “laobacha”, or Old Daddy Tea shop
In larger cities, Fushan Coffee shops compete with more international chains such as Coffee World and Starbucks, which means that there are plenty of coffee options here for those of you who are addicted to that amazing elixir of life, coffee!
