Starbucks Follows the China-Chic Trend! Opens First Domestic Intangible Cultural Heritage Concept Store!

Starbucks Opens First Intangible Cultural Heritage Concept Store in Shanghai

According to Shanghai Jing'an Report, on September 30th—the day before the National Day holiday—Starbucks' first Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) concept store in Shanghai, the Starbucks Reserve Shen Yu Li ICH Concept Store, began trial operations at No. 100 Fujian North Road, Shen Yu Li, Shanghai Suhe Bay Mixc World, Jing'an District.

The ICH concept store is both a distinctive third space and a gallery for intangible cultural heritage art. Shanghai and Yunnan cultures converge here for an immersive, dual-ICH experience—one of the city's recommended destinations for exploring historical culture and urban charm.

The store's shop sign is crafted with Yunnan Honghe tin work, with handmade silver door handles. Inside, an entire wall features a coffee-bean pattern background made with traditional embroidery, and the theme wall embeds a pure silver, hand-hammered Starbucks Reserve logo.

The décor fuses Yunnan ethnic minority craftsmanship with the design language of Shanghai's qipao. Each barista in the store wears a unique embroidered mermaid pin on the chest—another special product customized for the Shanghai ICH store.

According to Lu Shilan, manager of the Starbucks Reserve Shen Yu Li ICH Concept Store, the store has launched Reserve Yunnan coffee beans—a natural process and a washed process from Yunnan Tianyu Farm. Visitors can also experience traditional siphon coffee brewing on-site.

"We chose 'Shen Yu Li' for the rich historical architecture and atmosphere of the surrounding area. We want consumers to encounter the craft and culture of artisans through Starbucks' third-space approach combined with coffee interaction," said Lu Shilan. In Shanghai—Starbucks' "city of a thousand stores"—this ICH concept store has become a shining new star among the thousand.

It is the first ICH concept store in Shanghai, though not the first in the world. In November 2011, China's first "ICH Cultural Experience Store" opened in Beijing, a collaboration with batik craft inheritors that featured Starbucks' first coffee bar themed around batik art, alongside displays of ICH artworks.

Bridging Traditional Culture and Modern Urban Life

"The original intention behind this ICH concept store was to build a bridge between intangible cultural heritage and modern urban life. We hope to bring ICH art closer to more young urban consumers," said Cai Delin, Starbucks Global Executive Vice President and CEO of Starbucks China.

The store format was inspired by the "Rural Mothers Acceleration Program" launched by Starbucks in May 2020—a public-welfare project run jointly with the China Women's Development Foundation, dedicated to empowering rural women who inherit ICH skills and helping them achieve self-reliance and better lives.

Cultural Integration and Community Connection

Starbucks has long built emotional connections with consumers by weaving store design into local urban culture. As young people increasingly embrace local cultural aesthetics, the "Guochao" (China-chic) movement has become a consumer trend, and Starbucks has joined in actively.

The store grows out of an understanding and embrace of local culture, creating unique emotional connections by continually redefining the third space. Green sustainability, the beauty of intangible heritage, pet-friendly environments, sign-language stores, co-creation spaces—Starbucks remains a pivot point of urban and community interaction, with ever more refined and innovative store formats.

Across China, Starbucks' footprint keeps merging into urban life, and the opening of Shanghai's first ICH concept store is the proof: a perfect match with Shanghai's cultural charm and a further extension of its public-welfare work.

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the Yunnan beans on display have sparked your curiosity, bring the local terroir home with these FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan selections:

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Arabica (Baoshan, Washed) — Baoshan's frost-free, dry-hot river-valley climate with wide day-night temperature swings gives this coffee its distinctive sweet finish. Washed and medium roasted, it pours a gentle cup of nut and chocolate aromas with a touch of caramel and soft plum acidity—the perfect, affordable first taste of Yunnan coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Yunnan Sun-Dried Typica — grown on FrontStreet's own estate from one of the oldest, purest Arabica varieties, sun-dried the traditional way. Medium roasted for balance, it offers dark berry and citrus tones, caramel sweetness, chocolate, a hint of dried apricot, and a black-tea finish—the natural next step for anyone exploring Yunnan's regional character.

FrontStreet Coffee Dark Cocoa Blend — for Yunnan flavor in espresso form: Yunnan small-bean coffee paired with Brazil Cerrado. Brazil brings mixed-nut aroma and balance, Yunnan contributes chocolate and citrus; the resulting Americano balances sweet, sour, and bitter with nut and brown sugar notes, while a latte turns silky with almond and cream. Beginner-friendly and widely loved by baristas.