A chic and stylish cafe awaits customers in Lishui. [Photo/WeChat account: wxlishui]

Coffee has become a symbol of prosperity and modern culture for the city of Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province, according to a recent report in the Lishui Daily.

Last September, Lishui released its Action Plan for Promoting the Development of Coffee Industry. Since then, urban cafes have sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, with the number increasing to date to 120, a 292.67 percent year-on-year increase.

On quirk is that more and more coffee shops prefer to be hidden away in small alleys and obscure corners, instead of the main streets.

The Oak Cafe is a cafe that operates in an old converted oil pump factory. "Tasting coffee is like tasting life, first bitter then sweet. The reason why we chose the location is to provide a quiet place for people to calm their minds in the noisy city," said owner Xiaoye.

Xiaoye said that since its opening, the number of customers was increasing by the day and they now sell more than 150 cups of coffee per day.

UIN is another offbeat outlet in Lishui. The 400-square-meter premises is divided into to a cafe and a gallery. Though located in a small lane, it attracts many coffee enthusiasts and art lovers every day.

Since the first coffee shop – the Blue Bird – opened in Lishui in 1997, the retail coffee sector in the city has been developing rapidly.

The city launched its first coffee expo in Qingtian county last year, which attracted the participation of 20 coffee-producing countries and nearly 100 domestic and foreign coffee enterprises.