There are many ways to talk about Shanghai-style culture, and there are also many stories about Shanghai-style culture. For me, the easiest and most convenient way is to find an interesting place to drink coffee in Shanghai, where I can, from the aspect of coffee in Shanghai, taste and tell the “three flavors of Shanghai-style culture”, namely Shanghai-style culture is very international, Shanghai-style culture has unique Chinese characteristics, and Shanghai-style culture reflects the feature of Shanghai.

When overseas friends drink coffee at the landmarks, they will feel just at home.

It is very international to taste Shanghai-style culture from coffee in Shanghai. The quantity, brand and distribution of coffee shops in Shanghai are the most persuasive. Statistics show that in terms of quantity and scale, there are 6,913 coffee shops in Shanghai included by dianpin.com, and the quantity of coffee shops per 10,000 people is 2.85, both of which rank first in the world. In terms of coffee varieties, there are more than 800 global chains like Starbucks in Shanghai. The emergence of boutique coffee shops is the biggest change in the coffee market in Shanghai in the past five years. In Shanghai, there are coffee beans from all over the world and different styles of baristas. In terms of spatial agglomeration, coffee shops in Shanghai are densely distributed along Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road and Little Lujiazui, and along the 15 coffee shop streets most densely distributed, there are 1.5 coffee shops every 100 meters on average. In the past, when overseas friends came to visit me, I would take them to Shanghai Jinmao Tower, New World of Shanghai and other landmarks in the city for coffee, which were established after the reform and opening up, making them feel just at home. Recently, a friend engaged in design has asked me to watch the reconstruction of shoreline on both sides of Suzhou River together. After watching, we drank coffee at the top of Bvlgari Hotel. Looking out the window, we could see the Bund and Lujiazui CBD, where Suzhou River and Huangpu River meet. It was very pleasant to talk about how North Bund will be built into the “City Hall” of Shanghai metropolis in the future while enjoying coffee.

Coffee in Shanghai has uniquely combined Chinese and Western characteristics, and introduced Southern Yangtze style, bringing many Chinese stories

It is very China-style to taste Shanghai-style culture from coffee in Shanghai. We can think of the uniquely combined Chinese and Western characteristics, and Southern Yangtze style. In terms of combined Chinese and Western characteristics, we can drink coffee + tea, coffee + soy milk, Western coffee + Chinese pastry in the coffee shops in Shanghai; In terms of Southern Yangtze style, for example, Starbucks has developed a unique “Salute Shanghai” series of coffee, in which “Shanghai Yellow Wine Macchiato” is a blend of Italian espresso, yellow rice wine and plum milk. Coffee bakers from all walks of life have displayed their unique skills in blending the coffee products from abroad with Chinese flavor and Southern Yangtze flavor. It can be said nothing is impossible to the great Shanghai. Once I discussed with some PhD students the emergence and development of urban space in Shanghai while having coffee on Daxue Road, Jiangwan District. We mentioned that after the establishment of the county in 1291, the Chinese built the old southern city, then foreigners built concession and Bund after the opening of the port in 1843. And in 1927, the Chinese tried to plan and build a new urban area of Shanghai, which was a combination of Chinese and Western elements in Jiangwan-Wujiaochang Area; The rise of The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Jinmao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Center, and the recent story that the “industrial rust belt” on both sides of the Huangpu River and Suzhou River has become the “life show belt” indicates new development of Shanghai-style culture since the reform and opening up. It is very China-style to taste Shanghai-style culture from coffee in Shanghai, from which many such Chinese stories can be brought out.

The economic features of non-homogeneity and unprecedentedness can be reflected from the coffee business

It is very Shanghai-style to taste Shanghai-style culture from coffee in Shanghai. We can see the innovative spirit of Shanghai from the coffee culture. The economic features of non-homogeneity and unprecedentedness can be reflected in the coffee business in Shanghai, which is the innovative spirit of coffee in Shanghai. For example, Seesaw, a boutique coffee brand, recently launched a new plant-based coffee that breaks through the tradition of using only animal milk for its coffee and trying to make plant-based coffee. The Seesaw brand successfully reached distribution cooperation with the companies concerned on the opening day of Shanghai Coffee Culture Week. This is just one of many innovative stories about coffee in Shanghai, but it reminds me of the strong and profound innovation heritage of the bustling metropolis Shanghai. It is said that coffee shops are the third space in addition to the working space and living space for urban people. However, what I think of is the innovative significance of coffee space for the city. In recent years, the 3T theory put forward by Florida, an American urban economist, has been popular in the study of innovative cities, setting forth that innovative cities have three “T” elements, namely Tech, Talent and Tolerance. The relationship among them is that urban innovation entails technological innovation, which derives from talent innovation. Talent innovation derives from tolerance, while tolerance entails coffee shops and bookstore space spreading all over the city. Therefore, whenever I talk to people and drink coffee in a coffee shop, I will think of a large number of coffee shops along the streets of Shanghai, where various talents gather every day and form sparks of thoughts. And aren’t these ideas the social foundation for Shanghai to build itself into a global innovation and creativity center?

From the “small culture” of coffee in Shanghai, we may catch a glimpse of the big culture of Shanghai city. Shanghai has always had three great pursuits, namely, to build a people’s city fully reflecting the characteristics of China, those of the times and those of Shanghai, as well as a socialist, modern and international metropolis with world influence. The “styles” of coffee culture in Shanghai are highly consistent with the “characteristics” of Shanghai’s urban development. Many years ago, I had an extravagant hope that when I retire from my position as a professor, maybe I can find an elegant place to open a green-themed mini coffee bookstore, where I can drink coffee with people and read books worldwide, talk about Chinese affairs and express my views. Shanghai Coffee Culture Week once again gives rise to the cultural longing and imagination of me as a scholar.