Coffee culture

The "Living Fossil" of Chinese Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, In early May, our reporter accompanied more than 60 domestic and international experts and scholars to Zhukula Village in Pingchuan Town, Binchuan County, to investigate one of the birthplaces of Chinese coffee - the Zhukula coffee forest, the only model that has preserved and continued Chinese coffee culture for over a century to this day. Here lie the world's purest and most pristine coffee beans, possessing immense historical and scientific research value, truly deserving the title of "living fossil" of Chinese coffee. Upon entering the village, facing

In early May, journalists accompanied over 60 domestic and international experts and scholars to Zhukula Village in Pingchuan Town, Binchuan County, to investigate the Zhukula coffee forest, known as "one of the birthplaces of Chinese coffee and the only model of Chinese coffee culture传承 that has continued for over a hundred years to this day."

The Living Fossil of Chinese Coffee

"Here are the purest and most original coffee beans in the world, possessing extremely high historical and scientific value, worthy of being called the 'living fossil' of Chinese coffee," exclaimed Chen Dexin, Secretary-General of the Yunnan Specialty Coffee Society, upon entering the village and facing the verdant coffee forest.

Mr. Chen Dexin first visited Zhukula Village in 2009 and has now returned 9 times, voluntarily taking on the role of guide. In 1904, French Catholic priest Tian Deneng obtained a coffee seedling brought from Vietnam's Lao Cai via Hekou by a fellow missionary, and planted it behind the Catholic church in Zhukula Village. This unintentionally created a "legend" of Chinese coffee. The entire village now has 13 acres of ancient coffee forest totaling 1,134 trees, including 24 planted between 1908 and 1912, and 1,110 planted in 1948. Experts have identified these as the oldest Typica and Bourbon varieties of Yunnan arabica coffee, which are now extremely rare in China and can be called "priceless treasures."

Preservation and Development

The Catholic church built in those years now has mottled walls and stands empty. However, the century-old coffee forest continues to grow and expand its family. Binchuan County has launched the "Protection Plan for the Historical Site of the Century-Old Zhukula Coffee as an Important Chinese Agricultural Cultural Heritage," which will create a unique coffee ecological agricultural tourism brand through protection and development.

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