“If a coffee bean could speak,

how would she recount her ten years? Would she talk about the blazing sun on Hambella’s hills in Ethiopia, the fateful meetings in dim warehouses, the countless sleepless nights shared with roasters, or the unspoken persistence behind millions of cups of coffee? Ten years is enough to scar an idealist, yet also enough to transform a single coffee bean into “Huakui (China Beauty)” — the meaning of Flower Queen.”

by Xiaoxiao – Creator / Co-producer of Huakui (China Beauty)

This is her story.

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2015/16 – The Birth of Huakui (China Beauty)

Blazing a Trail in the Wilderness

In 2015, coffee consumption in mainland China was just beginning. The famous names were still “Blue Mountain” and “Kopi Luwak,” while the supply of basic green beans was monopolized by international giants. “Specialty coffee” was a new buzzword: Panama Geisha was sweeping competitions, inspiring the estate and micro-lot model. Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, had little presence in China.

That year, Hansun Coffee was established in Ethiopia. Four total newcomers, including investor Lao Li, entered with no industry experience but fearless curiosity.

The first year was full of rejections. Established suppliers dismissed China as too small. Boutique traders preferred experienced buyers. They were left with scraps.

Then in August 2016, through a friend, Lao Li and Xiaoxiao knocked on a small upstairs door in Addis Ababa. It was DW Company, who showed them a coffee that had placed 2nd in Ethiopia’s national competition six months prior — yet still unsold.

DW lacked sales experience, but they were willing to sell a little without forcing bundled purchases.

They finally secured their first order: 200 bags (6 tons) of competition-winning beans.

The cup was stunning: floral, fruity, and elegant.

To mark this milestone, they named her “Huakui (China Beauty)” (Flower Queen) — their star product, their hope to walk a blossoming path.

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2016/17–2017/18 – Selling Homes to Deeply Root in the Mountain of Ethiopia

Huakui (China Beauty) 1.0 – 2016/17

Huakui (China Beauty) debuted with warm reception but limited reach. By January 2017, they signed a full container with DW.

That February, the beans they had already purchased went on to win first place at Ethiopia’s national coffee competition.

In April, Beijing barista Li Jianfei used Huakui (China Beauty) to win China’s Brewers Cup runner-up, beating Panama Geisha.

Overnight, Huakui (China Beauty) gained fame and commercial value, but also disputes over its “ownership” and opportunists chasing the hype. They were just two years old — fragile but alive.

Huakui (China Beauty) 2.0 – 2017/18

Amid debates, they held to idealism: Huakui (China Beauty) should be affordable daily specialty coffee with Eastern aesthetics.

Lao Li made a bold move — he sold his home to fund deep work in Ethiopia. They began shaping Huakui (China Beauty) from cherry to cup, stabilizing flavor and scaling up. Investors joined, and Huakui (China Beauty) shifted from a lucky lot to a traceable, crafted product.

2018/19–2020/21 – The Battle to Break the Circle

They faced two questions:

• Follow nature’s cycles or ensure year-on-year continuity?

• Could boutique “small and beautiful” coffee scale in China?

Huakui (China Beauty) 3.0 – 2018/19

They traveled Ethiopia’s Hambella, mapping terroir differences, and tested processing to create a consistent Huakui (China Beauty) flavor code: floral, fruity, umami-sauce finish.

Huakui (China Beauty) 4.0 – 2019/20

They embraced consumers’ voices — hosting cuppings, inviting votes, and listening. Huakui (China Beauty)’s standards were set with Chinese drinkers in mind.

Huakui (China Beauty) 5.0 – 2020/21

The Black Cup partnership with Luckin Coffee brought Huakui (China Beauty) to the masses.

Results: 90 tons purchased, 40 tons sold in 10 days. Unprecedented scale for a specialty coffee. Huakui (China Beauty) proved mass specialty was possible, though the journey remained heavy.

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2021/22–2022/23 – The Darkest Hour

Huakui (China Beauty) 6.0 – 2021/22

The pandemic hit. Many traders left Ethiopia. Lao Li went alone, half a year away, ensuring processing and shipping. Huakui (China Beauty) became the star of Black Cup.

But behind the growth were hardships: containers stuck at customs, staff unloading 40 tons in hazmat suits, quarantines, exhaustion. Yet they delivered the “impossible.”

Huakui (China Beauty) 7.0 – 2022/23

Orders surged past 1,000 tons. But supply strained. Partners overbuilt and imported cherries, pushing nature’s limits.

Though proud of the scale, they teetered at the edge of quality control and financial strain.

2023/24–2024/25 – Embracing Contradictions

Huakui (China Beauty) 8.0 – 2023/24

They refused capital and cut 70% of orders to protect Huakui (China Beauty)’s survival. A small team worked 20-hour days across Ethiopia and China, rebuilding standards and reconnecting with consumers through open cuppings.

Huakui (China Beauty) X Series – 2024/25

Huakui (China Beauty) reached ten years. The hype was gone, but the ideal remained: mass specialty with Eastern aesthetics.

They reunited with DW, creating the Huakui (China Beauty) Xs 10th anniversary edition, echoing the spirit of the first Huakui (China Beauty) and the pioneering days of Chinese coffee.