In the bamboo-covered foothills of Zhejiang’s Moganshan, a quiet revolution is percolating through Deqing County’s villages. What began as scattered coffee shops has grown into a transformative economic movement, with over 70% of these rural cafés now operated by post-90s entrepreneurs. The “village coffee” phenomenon has turned derelict mines, water towers and farm sheds into 63 thriving businesses that attracted 1.2 million visitors last year, generating ¥86 million in revenue while creating 420 local jobs.
The industrial-chic Glen Café exemplifies this alchemy. Built in a reclaimed quarry in Wusi Village, its cascading waterfalls and rugged cliffs form a dramatic backdrop that drew 2,000 daily visitors during May holidays. “We’re selling experiences, not just espresso,” explains owner Gu Xuesong, whose establishment topped Yangtze Delta’s trending café lists. Local officials have systematically repurposed 64 abandoned buildings and 20 underused plots, transforming them into attractions like the Moganshan Lakeside Park and volcanic-themed adventure centers.
Nature provides the ultimate décor at Deqing’s most innovative venues. The “Only Moganshan” brand’s cave café nestles within a karst cavern, where patrons sip lattes amidst stalactites. Fifteen kilometers east, Xia Yamin’s Rice Field Coffee embeds visitors in undulating grain fields through seamless open-air design. “Our weekend reservations book out weeks ahead,” says the 30-year-old owner, whose retro-chic space sparked a 180% increase in nearby homestay bookings since opening.
This caffeinated renaissance is brewing unexpected social changes. In Shangbai Village, the Bridge Girl Café collective – founded by 11 villagers with complementary skills – has become a hub for rural creatives. “We’ve formed a ‘coffee plus’ alliance with local pottery studios and organic farms,” says co-founder Yu Lei, noting how weekend visitor numbers surpassed 1,000. The trend reverses urban migration, with 127 young entrepreneurs returning last year to launch adjacent businesses from e-commerce to eco-tours.
Environmental restoration underpins the boom. At Sanlin Village’s Lakeside Café, ornithologists collaborated with farmers to create a wetland sanctuary attracting 150,000 annual visitors. “The egrets brought the tourists,” smiles village secretary Shen Hailiang, pointing to thriving homestays where occupancy rates jumped from 30% to 85%. Such successes inspired the county’s “One Café, One Landscape” initiative, systematically pairing specialty coffee with curated natural assets.
As Deqing’s model gains national attention, its true innovation lies in sustainability. Unlike urban third-wave cafés, these rural establishments function as multifunctional community spaces – by day serving flat whites to tourists, by night hosting agricultural training for locals. With plans to expand the network to 100 venues by 2025, Zhejiang’s countryside demonstrates how caffeine can catalyze comprehensive rural revitalization, one carefully crafted cup at a time.
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