On 21 May 2026, during the 2nd Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Coffee Week in Lijiang, China, the event “Admire the Snow Mountain Over Coffee – Yunnan & Vietnam Share the Same Cup” brought together coffee professionals, industry experts, business representatives, cultural envoys, and tourism delegates from Vietnam and China. 

Held at the foot of Lijiang’s Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the event created a platform for exchange between two important Asian coffee origins, highlighting coffee’s role not only as a traded commodity, but also as a bridge for cultural dialogue, technical knowledge-sharing, and regional collaboration. The event took place in the context of the 2026-2027 Vietnam-China Year of Tourism Cooperation, with coffee positioned as a way to strengthen friendship and exchange between the two countries. 

Representing Vietnam, Nguyen Bao Huy, Coffee Quality Control Manager at Vietnam Atlantic Trading Co., Ltd., part of ECOM Group, joined as a guest speaker. Drawing on his professional experience, he shared insights into Vietnam’s coffee-growing regions, including Đắk Lắk, Lâm Đồng, and Gia Lai, as well as the country’s distinctive coffee culture and brewing traditions. 

His presentation also explored the importance of quality control across the coffee value chain, from farms to ports. This included processing methods, grading protocols, and cupping practices for both Robusta and Arabica coffee, offering participants a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s technical expertise and diverse coffee profiles. 

Following the event, Nguyen Bao Huy joined the ECOM Pu’er Tianchen Coffee team to visit local coffee plantations, specialty coffee cooperatives, and processing factories in Menglian. These visits created further opportunities for exchange on quality control, flavour development, processing techniques, and standardised production workflows across both origins. 

Vietnam’s main coffee-growing areas are located across the Central Highlands, Đà Lạt, and central regions. The Central Highlands, the country’s primary production hub, is known for coffees with a rich body, mild bitterness, and distinct milky notes. In Đà Lạt, the high altitude and mild climate contribute to elegant sweet-and-sour profiles and refreshing aromas, while coffee from central Vietnam is often recognised for its smooth taste and roasted caramel notes. 

Through his participation, Nguyen Bao Huy brought not only technical quality control expertise, but also a deeper appreciation of Vietnamese coffee’s distinctive character. From the red soils of the Đắk Lắk Plateau to the mist-covered mountains of Lâm Đồng, the stories behind Vietnam’s coffee-growing regions reflect the diversity and potential of Asian coffee. 

The exchange also highlighted wider opportunities for collaboration between Vietnam and Yunnan, particularly in areas such as climate-resilient coffee varieties, regenerative farming practices, coffee processing, and knowledge-sharing between roasters, baristas, agronomists, and quality teams. 

At ECOM, our teams in Vietnam and China continue to exchange learnings on topics such as hybrid Arabica varieties, performance under changing climate conditions, coffee crop residue composting, and the use of biochar in the field. These exchanges help strengthen technical knowledge across origins and support more resilient coffee-producing communities. 

As Asian coffee continues to gain recognition globally, collaboration between origins such as Vietnam and Yunnan can help showcase the region’s quality, diversity, and capacity for innovation. 

We sincerely thank the event organisers, the Lijiang Municipal Department of Communications, and the Yunnan Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia for their invitation and support. 

Watch a video of the event here: Coffee – A bridge for Vietnam-Yunnan Cooperation
Read more here: Nhan Dan article on the event