How Coffee Stayed Alive in Kunming Since 1910

Kunming’s relationship with coffee goes back further than most realize — not as a recent trend, but as a steady thread woven through over a century of urban change, war, and migration. While today’s third-wave coffee shops are easy to spot, the city’s earliest coffee moments unfolded in less obvious places: in French-Vietnamese-owned restaurants that once served as both culinary and political hubs. The story isn’t just about caffeine, but about how a foreign drink took root in southwest China.

Yes, coffee has been served in Kunming continuously since at least 1910, starting in early French-run Western-style restaurants along the newly arrived (Yunnan-Vietnam Railway), and later thriving in the 1940s at Nanlaisheng, a Vietnamese coffeehouse that became a wartime meeting place for intellectuals and revolutionaries alike.

The Early Cafés: Luxury Too High for Most

When the pulled into Kunming in 1910, it brought the city’s first wave of foreigners — and with them, the city’s first Western restaurants. Keen to profit from the new rail-linked market, French and Vietnamese restaurateurs rushed in before the tracks were even finished. But these early Western eateries were expensive: a single meal cost at least one silver dollar, pricing out all but the wealthiest locals. Many closed within months, unable to sustain a customer base beyond the elite.

A New Era: From 'New Vietnam' to Nanlaisheng

Two decades later, in the 1930s, another Western restaurant called 'New Vietnam' opened on Jinbi Road. Run by a Vietnamese woman named Ruan Minxuan — reportedly from a prominent family in Thai Nguyen — the restaurant featured stylish art deco booth seating and inventive dishes, such as pork prepared to mimic seafood (dubbed 'clam meat'). Yet high prices limited its appeal. By the late 1930s, the business pivoted: it was renamed Nanlaisheng Café and began focusing on Vietnamese coffee and Western pastries. Its crusty French-style bread quickly became a signature item, drawing in a broader public curious about coffee.

Coffee Through War and Revolution

During the Anti-Japanese War, Kunming served as a crucial wartime capital in southwestern China. Despite harsh conditions, Nanlaisheng stayed busy. Prominent visitors included writer Shen Congwen, who hosted a meeting there with Hu Shi, and overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee. Few patrons noticed the frequent absences of a certain Vietnamese baker — who was, in fact, none other than Hồ Chí Minh. Arriving in Kunming in 1940, he lived under cover, working publicly as the bakery’s baker while leading underground efforts for Vietnamese independence. To this day, little is known about the true identity of the café’s owner, Ruan Minxuan, who protected him.

Postwar and Into the 1990s

In 1956, Nanlaisheng was nationalized under China’s public-private partnership policy. Even during the Cultural Revolution, the café continued serving what authorities called 'bourgeois' coffee. To align with the 'serve the workers, peasants, and soldiers' ethos, the menu expanded to include local Yunnan rice noodles and a Vietnamese stir-fried noodle dish: slightly boiled noodles sautéed with a savory topping of minced pork, mushrooms, and sauces — aromatic from across the room. For decades, Nanlaisheng moved locations as Kunming developed, until it eventually faded from view in the 1990s. Though now forgotten by many, it earned a rare distinction: the first (and for years, only) Kunming eatery recommended by the international travel magazine World Travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did coffee first come to Kunming?

Coffee first appeared in Kunming around 1910, introduced by French and Vietnamese restaurateurs who opened Western-style restaurants after the arrival of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway. Though initially too expensive for most locals, these venues marked the city’s first exposure to coffee culture.

What was Nanlaisheng, and why was it important?

Nanlaisheng was a café that began as a Western restaurant called 'New Vietnam' in the 1930s before shifting to focus on Vietnamese coffee and pastries. It became a popular spot for both locals and wartime figures, including Hồ Chí Minh, who worked there undercover in the 1940s.

Did Hồ Chí Minh really work at Nanlaisheng?

Yes. Hồ Chí Minh lived in Kunming during 1940 under an assumed identity and worked publicly as a baker at Nanlaisheng while secretly leading revolutionary activities for Vietnamese independence. His presence was known to few at the time.

What happened to Nanlaisheng after the 1940s?

Nanlaisheng was nationalized in 1956. It continued operating through the Cultural Revolution, adapting its menu to include local dishes alongside coffee. The café changed locations during Kunming’s urban redevelopment and eventually disappeared by the 1990s.

Was Nanlaisheng recognized internationally?

Yes. Before fading from memory, Nanlaisheng was noted as the first and, for a long time, only Kunming restaurant featured in the international travel publication World Travel Magazine.

What kinds of food did Nanlaisheng serve besides coffee?

Besides Vietnamese coffee, Nanlaisheng served French-style bread, Western pastries, and later, during the 1950s–70s, added Yunnan rice noodles and a Vietnamese stir-fried noodle dish with a meat and mushroom sauce.

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