DAWN OF THE DAZZLING DUSK

Booming biz in hours of darkness deepens consumption upgrade, boosts lifestyle sales

It's coming to midnight in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Liao Zhihai's restaurant is bustling. It's as though the business day has just started for the 25-year-old restaurateur. Amid much noisy cheer and excitement, Liao serves a plate of garlic-flavored crayfish and several bottles of beer to a bunch of merrymakers, probably workers socializing after a long day's late-shift work.

Liao's crayfish restaurant is open every day from 11 pm to 7 am. Office-goers, youngsters who play new-age video games at gaming parlors in the neighborhood, and those who simply crave another meal ... all flock to his restaurant for a late bite.