A woman makes a cappuccino at a cafe in Lishui. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

Coffee is becoming really fashionable these days in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province, and according to the city's commerce bureau, this year 11 new outlets engaged in the popular beverage registered in urban areas, up 293 percent year-on-year.

At the 3rd Overseas Chinese Imported Commodities Expo which was held in Qingtian Imported Commodity City in Qingrtian county, Lishui from Nov 14 to 16, the International Coffee Expo took place for the first time.

Since 2015, Qingtian's coffee sector has entered the fast track, with more than 30 new cafes added every year. The county's coffee consumption is about 20 times the national average.

Lishui's booming coffee industry has also been riding high because of incentive policies rolled out by the municipal government to expand the business. For instance, a rental subsidy of up to 30 percent is offered for the first three years to every new cafe that is registered.

"As owners, we are really happy that Lishui has given so much support to the coffee industry this year," said Lin Meijing, a cafe owner in Lishui.

"I believe that with more and more cafes opening in Lishui, the popularity of 'Lishui coffee' will become higher and higher," Lin added.