China
Dazzling nightlife
By Pan Xiaoqiao  ·  2023-04-21  ·   Source: NO.17 APRIL 27, 2023
Tourists relish the night view by taking a boat trip on a river in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on March 1 (XINHUA)

When night falls, Jinli Ancient Street, a cultural and tourist landmark in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, bustles with visitors, making it even more boisterous than in the daytime. Gleaming with lights from the small shops and stalls lining the street, the place is attracting people from across the country.

Rivaling the prosperous nightlife in Jinli is Han Street in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. "It's been a long time since I last visited Han Street. Strolling around the first and second blocks of the street, seeing vendors selling snacks and trinkets, I feel the worldly atmosphere is back," a netizen wrote. This is typical of the comments shared by locals on social media platforms.

The term "night economy" refers to the various economic activities taking place at night (usually after 5 p.m.), which predominantly involve food, entertainment, tourism and transportation services.

With the overall recovery of economic activities after China adjusted its COVID-19 management policy in late 2022, the country's night economy is heating up, in pace with the late April temperatures.

New business models 

The buoyant night economy has brought consumers to night fairs, old alleys and physical shops on commercial streets. Since early 2023, cities across the country have rolled out diverse policies and measures to encourage night markets. Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, announced early this year it will build no fewer than 10 night markets.

More than 20 restaurants dot the 300-meter-long Furong Street, a famous night market in Xi'an. A 30-year-old barbecue restaurant named Ganggang has seen its business rebound quickly in recent months. "As the weather is turning warmer, Xi'an is beginning to receive hordes of tourists, and more local residents are choosing to eat in restaurants," Ganggang's owner Wang Xin said. "Food delivery guys coming to the night market for takeaways are multiplying."

A big reason for the restaurant's flourishing business is its sales on online food delivery platforms, as it has found that, at night, many people tend to order food online. Since February, the restaurant's revenues have jumped by more than 50 percent year on year, as more people are staying up later into the night and looking for food.

In order to meet the rising nighttime demand of consumers, delivery companies are extending their services into the small hours, allowing night owls to purchase almost anything in the city and have it delivered within half an hour.

The prospering night economy across the country is breaking the old business model of closing the store for the night, and is thus greatly increasing the business opportunities for shops and commercial centers.

Meiyijia, a shop selling daily consumer goods in Wanzai County in Jiangxi Province is still open at midnight and, as the weather is getting warmer, the shop is becoming increasingly busy. The 30-minute delivery service model brings an average of 1,500 orders to the shop each month, with around 40 percent of these being placed at night.

Thanks to the improving nightlife experiences on offer, nighttime sales are increasing even in northeast China, which is much colder than the rest of the country. Take Harbin, the provincial capital of northernmost Heilongjiang Province for example. Since March, nighttime spending on entertainment has increased by 204.1 percent over the same period last year, including spending at teahouses, video game rooms, bars, and private cinemas, where friends can gather to watch movies.

Evolving for the better 

Although the nighttime economy has begun to take off, tourists still see many areas for improvement. Some tourists complain that night attractions such as pedestrian streets in different cities are too similar, seemingly copied from one another, and that the quality of goods sold at night markets is not as good.

Huang Suping, a professor of business administration at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, pointed out that cities need to dig into their respective unique cultural and historical elements, as well as their natural environments to develop economy with striking local features.

Cities should also encourage time-honored brands to take part in the development of the night economy, so that every city has its unique charm for tourists. In this way, tourists can choose their destinations in accordance with their interests, rather than spending money on hopping between cities only to encounter similar or even identical attractions.

In response to tourists' concerns, some destinations have already taken steps to improve their nighttime experiences.

Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province has established a culture and tourism brand of its own by combining local history and culture with its night economy. The curtain for the stage play Song of the Great Wind goes up at 7 p.m each night. The drama tells stories of how Xuzhou native Liu Bang rose to become the first emperor of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), and how he later established his empire. The grand scale of the performance draws in crowds, who then gain an insight into the city and its history.

Xuzhou is clear and consistent in the theme of its night economy. Every street and alley is designed according to the city's overall night market plan. When strolling in the city's night fairs, visitors can enjoy music played on ancient Chinese musical instruments. Craftspeople display their works such as paper cuttings and figures molded from molten sugar. When tired, travelers can sit in one of the city's many teahouses, savoring tea and delicate desserts.

"Xuzhou will further incorporate elements of its intangible cultural heritage into its night fairs. The city will invite more young artists to create cultural products riding on the current fashions and supporting services will also be introduced," said Cui Feng, Director of Xuzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism.

As part of their efforts to address tourists' concerns about the regulation of goods and services, many cities have taken action to improve the management of their night markets. Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, is one such city.

Both banks of the Xiangjiang River in the city are illuminated by colorful neon lights. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of cuisines on the west bank's commercial street, while on the east bank, a giant artificial moon sheds light on the busy scenes, becoming a new landmark in the city. Tianxin District, which accommodates these nighttime economic activities, established a business service center in 2019. Different departments of the center take turns to keep watch over the district, particularly at night. Their teams are responsible for identifying hidden troubles, defusing disputes and cracking down on misdemeanors in the night fairs, so as to create a safe and comfortable business environment for both businesses and consumers.

Nights with a bright future 

By the end of 2022, China's nighttime economy had already hit 42.4 trillion yuan ($6.15 trillion). However, compared with many other countries, its night economy is still in the early stage of its development. 

As a new economic growth pole in China, the night economy is an inevitable result of the country's rapid economic growth. According to Huang, modern technological advances are making nightlife more convenient and colorful.

The nighttime economy offers opportunities for entertainment and social communication that are unavailable to people preoccupied with work by day. It not only provides much-needed leisure and relaxation, but also an outlet, particularly for young people, to pursue their passions for shopping, dining and other forms of consumption. 

In addition to stimulating the local economy by increasing job opportunities and businesses' revenues, more importantly, the night economy can help with economic restructuring and the improvement of urban economic growth models, Huang said. Unique cultural brands built during the nurturing of the night economy can enhance the image and competitiveness of a city, he added.

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

Comments to panxiaoqiao@cicgamericas.com 

China
Opinion
World
Business
Lifestyle
Video
Multimedia
 
China Focus
Documents
Special Reports
 
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise with Us
Subscribe
Partners: China.org.cn   |   China Today   |   China Hoy   |   China Pictorial   |   People's Daily Online   |   Women of China   |   Xinhua News Agency
China Daily   |   CGTN   |   China Tibet Online   |   China Radio International   |   Global Times   |   Qiushi Journal
Copyright Beijing Review All rights reserved 京ICP备08005356号 京公网安备110102005860