Why Are There So Many Coffee Shops in Shanghai? Because "Half of What Flows Through Shanghai People's Veins is Coffee"!

Question asked: "What are your thoughts about the community lockdown?" A Shanghai citizen responded: "It's over, I'm not prepared, no more coffee to drink!"

How much do Shanghai residents love coffee? A comment that topped the Weibo trending list last night answers this question.

What started as just an everyday comment unexpectedly struck a chord with many Shanghai residents! Netizens expressed their共鸣: "That's totally me!" When given the chance to go out after lockdown, the first thing they think of is buying coffee! Food can be improvised, but coffee is indispensable! (Of course, these comments only represent individual netizens and do not speak for all Shanghai residents)

Subsequently, this Weibo post also "alerted" the official Hema account, which couldn't resist replying: "Ah, we should stock up on more coffee." Even the official Link Coffee account "couldn't stay out of it," immediately asking the original poster: "Where do you live, young lady? If you're nearby, I can deliver some to you, haha." Luckin Coffee, seeing this, quickly chimed in: "I'm late. Better late than never."

Some netizens even commented, "Shanghai people's veins run half with coffee and half with Guangming dairy!" In the past, Guangming dairy was consumed directly, but now people want to use it to make lattes.

Shanghai's Coffee Culture by Numbers

Do you think the netizens are exaggerating? Let's look at some data: According to data from Rising Lab, a research institution of Shanghai's First Financial Media, Shanghai has over 7,000 coffee shops, making it the city with the most coffee shops in the world (as of the end of 2021). Based on the average annual sales of local coffee shops in Shanghai divided by the resident population, the average annual coffee consumption per person in Shanghai is 20+ cups. This might not seem like much? This is only calculated based on coffee shop sales - not everyone living in Shanghai drinks coffee, and those who drink coffee don't necessarily visit coffee shops.

Source: Dianping, OpenStreetMap, New First-tier Cities Commercial Database

A Cultural Deep Dive

In response to the question of whether all Shanghai residents love coffee, a local Shanghai blogger vividly expressed through video the attitude of most Shanghai people toward coffee.

Source: Weibo "G Sengdong"

Shanghai people's love for coffee stems more from habit. During the Republic of China era, coffee drinking became popular among Shanghai's upper class, and many Chinese-invested coffee shops could be seen on the bustling streets. Starting in the 1960s, coffee became more accessible to common people, with vacuum-packed coffee powder appearing on the market and gradually integrating into daily life. The older generation of Shanghai residents thus developed the habit of drinking coffee. Habits are passed down from generation to generation, and coffee drinking and coffee culture have long been ingrained in Shanghai people's DNA.

Source: Coffee tea making

Similar to tea drinking, coffee can be enjoyed through elaborate brewing or simply boiled in a pot. Not everyone pursues specialty freshly ground coffee, nor does every cup need to exhibit refined flavors. Ready-to-drink, instant, and drip coffee all work just fine. Coffee is just a beverage, a daily signal to encourage oneself and feel energized. It's energy, it's strength, and it's a ritual that allows one to switch states.

Regional Perspectives on Fatigue

This trending Weibo topic reminded me of something: If you tell a Shanghai person you feel a bit tired, they might say you need some time for yourself, suggesting you go to a coffee shop to relax with a cup of coffee.

But if you tell someone from Guangdong you feel tired, they'll likely say you have "dampness" in your body, advising you to drink more herbal tea, more dampness-removing soup, and if that doesn't work, get cupping therapy or scraping, and then get a good night's sleep!

Just thinking about it brings such vivid imagery to mind!

Image source: Internet, Weibo

Video source: Weibo "G Sengdong"

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