Tai'an city revs up its nighttime economy

Shanglaozhuang village in Dongping county – located in Tai'an city, in East China's Shandong province – has acted to boost its nighttime economy by introducing great events and developing a raft of evening shopping points and markets.

That's come in the wake of the village's special lighting project launched in April, which uses vibrantly colorful and well-arranged lighting to enhance the beauty of its Anshan ancient town.

Shanglaozhuang village then went on to introduce a number of residential night consumption points – such as a fishing and leisure center and a water barbecue park.

Hordes of folks flock to Jinse Yanhuo restaurant. [Photo by Liu Weiting and Wang Sheng for chinadaily.com.cn]

A local restaurant called Jinse Yanhuo, or Golden Fireworks, has generated daily revenue of over 5,000 yuan ($696) since opening on July 1.

Looking ahead, the restaurant aims to improve its brand profile with the help of Anshan town's fine reputation.

"To empower the night economy, we have revitalized over 50 mu (3.33 hectares) of abandoned land in Anshan ancient town, as well as leasing over 40 idle houses to attract business," said Ye Guiliang, an official of Shanglaozhuang village.

He added that next, the plan was to leverage local strengths and characteristics to bolster rural vitalization with cultural creativity. (Edited by Chen Chuxuan)

Bright lights illuminate Anshan ancient town.  [Photo by Liu Weiting and Wang Sheng for chinadaily.com.cn]