Why Are Hangzhou's Viral Temple Coffees So Popular! Can You Drink Coffee in Temples?

"Drink coffee on Buddhist sacred ground; speak not of others' coffee choices."

How successful is the temple coffee business?

Hard to say exactly when the trend began, but people across Asia have taken to flocking to temples for coffee. In recent years, a coffee wave has swept through ancient temples across the region. Perhaps the hope is to use coffee as a medium for helping young people connect with traditional architectural culture, or perhaps the monks simply developed a taste for it themselves—but every temple coffee shop seems to be doing brisk business. In 2020, when Starbucks Japan opened a store within the grounds of the 1,300-year-old Zenkoji Temple, it earned unanimous praise from the temple and its monks. Two years on, as visitors come to check in and drink coffee, more and more people have gained a new appreciation for this thousand-year-old temple.

Then in 2021, a coffee shop quietly opened at Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou, China. The label "monks selling coffee" made it go viral instantly, and temple coffee became a "must-do" on netizens' lists. Every weekend and holiday, young people pour into the temples, sipping coffee while soaking up the peace and stillness the surroundings bring.

Following the success of the Yongfu Temple café, more and more ancient temples have licensed third parties to open coffee shops on their grounds over the past two years—and some temples have gone into the coffee business themselves.

Recently, the Human Resources Department of Xiamen Nanputuo Temple's Industrial Society even posted a barista job opening. Netizens noted that the temple's café business is thriving, with lines forming on weekends and holidays. As for the four days off per month, some joked: "Not a shred of compassion 😂"

Why do young people love drinking coffee in temples?

Three factors stand out: people's growing acceptance of innovative twists on Chinese tradition, consumer curiosity, and the sense of contrast this combination creates.

Compared with dry educational pamphlets, an Americano named "Eliminate Worries," a latte named "Stop Snow," or a caramel macchiato named "Mo Bai" lets people feel the beauty and tranquility of the temple the moment they read the menu.

The viral labels of "monks selling coffee" and "drinking coffee in temples" are, at heart, subversions of expectation—one from the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, the other from the very idea of monks (or rather, temples) selling coffee. That contrast captures exactly what young people who love novel experiences are looking for.

Meanwhile, when the packaging and the names blend into the setting, customers feel more involved—it becomes an immersive experience.

Is it only tourists? Monks are young people too.

Beyond the tourists and worshippers, monks themselves have a real appetite for coffee. Monks may project a steady, timeless image, but many of them are young people who follow new trends. It is only the traditional stereotype that makes people assume they do nothing but drink tea and chant sutras.

Some monks even buy green coffee beans to roast themselves and personally brew coffee for guests. A recent South Korean variety show captured exactly that. When a guest remarked, "I thought monks only drank tea," the monks laughed: "Seems you're still living in the past—monks must keep up with the times."

After the episode aired, the temple was suddenly on young netizens' radar, and many made the trip hoping to taste the monks' coffee. The monks' reply: "Coffee is served only to visitors with appointments, and we have no plans to sell coffee in the temple for now." Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

You don't need a temple for tranquility—sometimes a quiet, clean cup is meditation enough. For a serene, tea-like brew, FrontStreet Coffee recommends the washed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Guodingding: jasmine florals, bright citrus acidity, and a gentle green-tea finish, or the 2013 Yunnan sun-dried Typica, whose soft nut, red-sugar, and black tea notes are perfect for slow afternoons.

Brew a cup, set down your worries, and let the silence do the rest.