Guiyang Emerges as China’s New Culinary Tourism Capital With Its Bold Brew Culture

Published on December 12, 2025

The vibrant atmosphere in China’s Guiyang streets during the fall slowly decreased with the lights, and a Shanghai visitor, Li Wei, was enjoying a rich cup of coffee with local flavours before going to a craft beer festival that night, a perfect Guiyang experience that, as the local tourism authorities hinted, indicated the city’s food and drink culture to tourism. Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province in south-west China, has developed an amazing trio of coffee, craft beer and new-fashioned tea which is changing the face of culinary tourism and bringing new life to the city.

Citywide Growth of Beverage Culture

Guiyang’s emergence as a dynamic culinary destination is rooted in substantial growth across its beverage sectors. The city now boasts more than 3,000 coffee outlets and over 1,200 craft beer bars, alongside a rapidly expanding network of new-style tea shops. This density of cafés, approximately one for every 2,000 residents places Guiyang among the leading cities in China for coffee culture, complementing its reputation as a vibrant travel hub.

According to tourism and cultural authorities, this growth is not accidental but part of a deliberate strategy to fuse local flavours with modern lifestyle offerings, transforming traditional beverage consumption into immersive tourist experiences. Guiyang’s official tourism narrative foregrounds these sectors as pillars of cultural tourism, aligned with its broader ambition to become a four-season cultural tourism destination.

Innovative Local Flavours and Tourism Experiences

At the heart of this transformation is flavour innovation that draws on the region’s rich agricultural bounty. Baristas in Guiyang are known to experiment with native ingredients such as Roxburgh rose fruit, mountain pepper and freshwater herbs to craft coffee blends that are as evocative of place as they are delicious. These inventive combinations have sparked interest among both domestic and international visitors who seek unique culinary experiences beyond conventional sightseeing.

Similarly, craft breweries in Guiyang have embraced local produce and traditional brewing techniques to create beers that resonate with regional identity. One Guiyang brewer recently won international acclaim with a barrel-aged beer made with premium local strawberries and apricots, underscoring how local ingredients can elevate craft beer onto the global stage.

The city’s tea sector, meanwhile, is redefining tradition through brands that blend classic tea culture with contemporary tastes. Events promoting Guiyang’s tea brands in other provinces have emphasised the blend of cultural heritage and modern flavour profiles, reinforcing tea’s role in tourism and cross-regional exchange.

Fostering Cultural and Culinary Synergy

Guiyang’s strategy goes beyond drinks. Tourism planners have integrated coffee, craft beer and tea into broader cultural consumption scenarios that range from food markets and creative lifestyle districts to festivals and nightlife hubs. In Guanshanhu District, for example, an annual craft beer festival has become a lifestyle event that combines beer tastings with regional food offerings, music and interactive activities, positioning gastronomic tourism as a social experience rather than a mere taste test.

The city has also launched initiatives like the Guiyang is a City That Never Sleeps map, which highlights coffee, craft beer and late-night culinary spots, guiding travellers through a sensory journey that encapsulates the city’s energy after dark. Such tools underscore the deliberate fusion of food, culture and tourism in Guiyang’s urban narrative.

Economic and Tourist Impact

Official figures indicate that Guiyang’s embrace of these beverage sectors has had measurable effects on both consumption and tourism. By late 2025, domestic tourist arrivals and spending in the city were up almost 10 % year-on-year, a rise that local analysts suggest is partly driven by culinary tourism with food and drink as anchor experiences that encourage longer stays and repeat visits.

Moreover, consumption in emerging sectors such as coffee and tea drinks grew by over 50 percent in the first three quarters of 2025, signalling that these experiences have transcended novelty to become embedded in both everyday life and destination marketing.

Policy Support and the Road Ahead

Guiyang’s municipal government has backed this evolution with supportive policies that cultivate talent, strengthen local brand development and weave coffee, craft beer and tea into the broader tourism fabric. Efforts include training programmes for baristas and brewers, as well as integrating coffee culture into scenic routes and cultural festivals evident in the city’s push to become a nationally recognised hub for coffee culture and experience.

By aligning entrepreneurial creativity with official tourism strategy, Guiyang has created a compelling model of culinary tourism that resonates with modern travellers seeking authenticity and flavour. As one local event organiser suggested, the city’s beverage scene has morphed into a lifestyle symbol that draws visitors into deeper cultural engagement, not just through taste, but through shared experiences.

More Than a Drink

To people like Li Wei, a traveller who enjoyed the colourful night scene of Taiping Road with a locally brewed beer, Guiyang’s gastronomic revolution has been an invitation to explore a city through its tastes and manners rather than just a delightful meal or drink. In the city of Guiyang, every drink is a story, and every place such as café, taproom, and tea house is a door opened to a culture where culinary art and tourism are inseparable.