Rural night markets across east China's affluent Zhejiang Province have attracted large crowds of tourists so far in the current summer season, sparking a nighttime consumption boom and boosting rural revitalization by integrating tourism with local cultural characteristics.
At a village in Yiwu City reputed as the world's capital of small commodities, a 300-meter-long waterway featuring 64 stalls offering special snacks and intangible cultural heritage delicacies have become more bustling as dusk falls, with tourists wading through the cool stream waters while savoring authentic flavors.
"It's very fun here, very lively, with a lot of people, and it's quite cool," said a tourist surnamed Huang.
The village would remain illuminated well into the late night as numerous tourists leisurely stroll along the stream and savor delectable cuisine. Although it opened just over 10 days ago, this waterway night market has already generated a revenue of 2.2 million yuan (around 306,500 U.S. dollars) for the local community.
In addition to the waterway night market, various other unique night markets tailored to their local characteristics have been introduced across different regions in Zhejiang.
For instance, a village in Wenling City has developed a captivating lotus pond light show, creating jobs for about 600 people from both the village and its surrounding areas.
In Suichang County, a township inhabited by the She ethnic minority group, has seen a surge in interest in activities such as indigo dyeing experiencing and the production of glutinous rice cakes at the local market.
Similarly, in another township in Huzhou City, an old hospital area has undergone a transformation into a bustling night market. Here, a Korean delicacy, spicy stir-fried rice cakes, is so popular that over 400 portions are sold daily.
"Business here, I think, seems quite good. Now, on weekends, our daily gross income ranges from 4,000 (around 557.3 U.S. dollars) to 5,000 yuan (around 696.6 U.S. dollars)," said Kim Ji-soo, owner of the stall selling spicy stir-fried rice cakes, who hails from South Korea.
In the summer season, Zhejiang Province will host 84 themed summer market events to stimulate development of the rural night economy.
Meanwhile, a summer consumption festival has commenced in Shangyu District of Shaoxing City, showcasing 20 night economy landmarks categorized into those of night shopping, night dining, night entertainment, night tours and so on, with notable places such as Laowaitan, a signature pedestrian street in Ningbo City, being among them.
Rural night markets in east China's Zhejiang see surge in popularity during summer
