Kunming’s Lost Icon: The Rise and Fall of Nanlaisheng Café

Kunming once had a café so internationally revered that the only official mention of a Yunnan eatery in global tourism literature was about it — until it vanished. What happened to Nanlaisheng Café, the Parisian-style spot once graced by Ho Chi Minh, Zhou Enlai, and Chen Jiageng, and why did it disappear without a trace?

Nanlaisheng, once among China’s most internationally recognised cafés, shuttered in early 2024. The building is set to become a food factory — a quiet end for a place once called home by diplomats, revolutionaries, and literary legends.

A Parisian Corner in Old Kunming

The story begins not with coffee, but with the railway. The 1910 completion of the French-built Yunnan-Vietnam Railway brought more than just transport: it introduced European sensibilities to Kunming, including the café culture. By the 1930s, the city’s bustling Jinbi Road was lined with French plane trees and colonial architecture, and it was here that a Vietnamese woman opened a small Western eatery called Xin Yue (New Vietnam).

This unassuming spot — just one room wide, three floors deep, with train-carriage-style seating downstairs and round tables upstairs — became famous not for its size, but for its detail. Patrons raved about signature dishes like clams made from seasoned pork stuffed in real seashells. But high prices drove change: Xin Yue pivoted to coffee and bread, reopened as Nanlaisheng Café, and began roasting its own beans.

Coffee, Craft, and Crusty Bread

Nanlaisheng didn’t just serve coffee — it put on a show. Using premium Vietnamese beans roasted to perfection, the café employed a hand-cranked wooden mill resembling a tiny pavilion with a central funnel for beans. The grounds went into a double-walled tin pot that neatly separated brew from grounds. The result? A richly aromatic cup unlike anything else in Kunming.

Equally iconic was its French hard-crusted bread — golden on the outside, chewy within, with a salty-sour tang that awakened appetites. Decades later, former patrons still search online for its like. “You could smell the coffee being ground fresh,” one blogger wrote. “Though sometimes the scent of pickled meat wafted over from the next stall.”

More Than a Café: A Stage for History

Nanlaisheng’s fame wasn’t built solely on food. During WWII, it served as a quiet hub of resistance. Ho Chi Minh, operating under the alias Hu Guang, found cover working as a baker at the original New Yue location on Huashan South Road while organising anti-colonial efforts with other Vietnamese communists. Zhou Enlai later remarked that its coffee tasted just like what he drank in France.

Literary icon Yu Jian held the café in high regard, though he criticised modern café culture as superficial. Even the famed local writer dismissed today’s coffee shop poseurs, calling their habits fleeting and skin-deep compared to Nanlaisheng’s deeper legacy.

But times changed. After the Jinbi Road demolition, Nanlaisheng relocated opposite Yuantong Mountain. Patronage dwindled. Attempts to cater to broader tastes — including selling rice noodles and sauced meats — diluted its identity. Once a symbol of Parisian leisure and colonial elegance, the café gradually lost its soul amid the mismatched menu and sparse crowds.

Why Did Nanlaisheng Fail?

Unlike Paris, where historic cafés like Les Deux Magots or Café de Flore thrive on centuries of cultural weight, Nanlaisheng existed in a city that never fully embraced its old-world charm. Though it served the same rich coffee and crusty bread, it stood alone amid fast-food chains like Dicos and McDonald’s. The surrounding area never supported its refined, nostalgic offerings. As Yu Jian noted, such refinement lacked roots in Kunming — and without cultural reinforcement, even a café with revolutionary and literary ties couldn’t survive.

What Happened to the Building?

By early 2024, Nanlaisheng had closed its doors for the last time. Its final chapter? Demolition isn’t on the cards — instead, the site will be repurposed into a food production facility. For many older residents of Kunming, this marks not just the end of a coffeehouse, but the erasure of a cultural touchstone tied to the city’s Francophile past, colonial history, and wartime resistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What made Nanlaisheng Café famous?

Nanlaisheng was celebrated for its authentic Parisian-style coffee, hand-ground using a unique pavilion-shaped wooden mill and brewed in a double-walled tin pot. It also served legendary French hard-crusted bread, and hosted international figures like Ho Chi Minh, Zhou Enlai, and Chen Jiageng.

Where was Nanlaisheng located?

Originally on Jinbi Road in central Kunming, Nanlaisheng moved to a quieter spot opposite Yuantong Mountain after the original street was demolished. It closed in early 2024.

Why did Nanlaisheng close?

The café struggled after relocating to a less-trafficked area. Efforts to broaden its appeal by selling local dishes like noodles and pickled meats diluted its identity. A decline in nostalgic clientele and lack of cultural continuity ultimately led to its closure.

Who were some notable patrons of Nanlaisheng?

Historic figures such as Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh (who worked undercover there), Chinese statesman Zhou Enlai, philanthropist Chen Jiageng, and writer Shen Congwen all visited or were associated with the café.

Did Nanlaisheng serve any unique food items?

Yes — besides coffee, it was known for French-style hard-crusted bread and a signature dish called “clam meat,” made from minced pork steamed in real seashells, flavoured with spices and garnishes.

What will happen to the Nanlaisheng building now?

The site will be converted into a food processing factory, marking the end of an era for one of China’s few officially recognised international cafés.

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