It's all about the eating

Guangde, Anhui province

Shift east and the story changes scale but not theme. Guangde, a county-level city in Anhui province, has become a magnet for short, food-first trips.

Its proximity — roughly a two-hour drive from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing — makes it ideal for micro vacations. Social media short videos and posts have driven thousands of visitors to its stew pot restaurants, milk-tea stands and dim sum counters.

The license plates of vehicles on the road show that many visitors come from other provinces.

They are particularly fond of the local stewed dish — Guangde stew pot, as well as Come Wonka milk tea and Zhanji dim sum.

On a recent Friday night, Wang Xiaoyi, 28, and her boyfriend drove from Shanghai to Guangde. "We were tempted by the steaming stew pots we saw in short videos," she said.

"We were pleasantly surprised to find free parking. Volunteers handed us a hand-drawn tourist map with large, clear writing. The police officers patrolling the street made us feel very safe."

While customers lined up at the restaurant entrance, employees offered Wang and her friend hot tea to keep warm.

"It felt like the whole city was welcoming us. The enthusiasm of the people of Guangde is even warmer than the stew pot's fire," Wang said.

On Nov 18, 2024, Guangde held a stew pot competition on Yingchun street, which included a tasting event known as the Hundred Pot Feast. It got widespread attention online.

From Nov 23 to Dec 15, Guangde received more than 4 million tourists, equivalent to eight times the registered population of the region. At the end of 2024, the registered population of Guangde was 511,300, according to the local government.

Located at the geographical center of the Yangtze River Delta region, Guangde borders both Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. This irreplaceable location naturally integrates it with three major metropolitan areas, significantly reducing the travel costs for tourists and opening a convenient door for the influx of micro vacationers.

The local government established a dedicated service team to inspect merchant service quality daily and respond promptly to complaints from residents and visitors alike.

To facilitate visits to local attractions, the local government also launched a no-cost transportation network with free bus lines connecting urban and rural attractions. It also introduced special buses that offer coffee.

The government opened more than a dozen free parking lots in popular areas, and government institutions opened their internal parking spaces for visitors to alleviate the pressure. Tourist maps and food maps were also distributed widely, frequently pushing travel information through official media to help tourists plan their trips.

The authorities responsible for food supplies ensured a stable flow of essential stew pot ingredients such as bamboo shoots and chicken.

Local dining businesses collectively promised to maintain freshness, to refuse preprepared food and to keep prices steady.

Warm-hearted local residents voluntarily adhered to a "not driving unless necessary" policy and actively gave way to tourists. They even offered local snacks to visitors, creating a touching citywide environment of hospitality.

More than that, major attractions waived entrance fees and organized fireworks shows and hanfu parades to enrich visitors' experience. Tourists were encouraged to shift from "having a meal" to "spending a day" in Guangde.

Zhao Jianhua drove from Anji county, Zhejiang province, to Guangde in less than an hour. "It was even faster than going to downtown Hangzhou," he said.

Zhao was highly satisfied with the stewed chicken and chestnut pot. Friends who came with him spent a long time taking pictures of their milk tea with their phones.

"We originally came for the food, but didn't expect there would be so many surprises. We must stay overnight next time," Zhao said.