'Rooftop economy' breathes new life into Wuchang ancient town in C China's Hubei

Photo shows a rooftop restaurant of a historic building in Wuchang ancient town, a popular tourist attraction in Wuchang district, Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (People's Daily Online/Peng Yundi)

As dusk settles over Wuchang ancient town, a popular tourist attraction in Wuchang district, Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, a new kind of consumer scene is taking shape — not in the alleyways below, but on the rooftops above.

Visitors climb onto the rooftops of old buildings to dine, watch performances and take in sweeping views of the iconic Yellow Crane Tower and the rivers flowing through the city. What were once cluttered, long-neglected spaces are now helping drive the area's high-quality tourism development.

The trend, known as the "rooftop economy," has emerged as a practical response to Wuchang ancient town's limited land resources.

Zhonghualu subdistrict, at the heart of Wuchang ancient town, covers just 1.13 square kilometers and has little room for vertical development, as height restrictions are in place to preserve sightlines to the Yellow Crane Tower.

But that limitation has become an asset. The district's low-rise rooftops offer unobstructed views of the historic tower and a Yangtze River bridge in the distance — views that high-rise buildings simply cannot provide, said Liu Li, deputy director of the subdistrict office.

Jiang Yunyao, head of a restaurant, said the subdistrict government encouraged him to develop the rooftop space and create a better experience for visitors. His investment of more than 100,000 yuan ($14,700) in renovations has since attracted steady queues of customers eager for the elevated dining experience.

The restaurant's success has demonstrated the broader potential of the rooftop economy as a viable business model, prompting Wuchang district to promote the concept and turn rooftops into a new driver of consumption.

Wuchang district has also refined its management approach, striking a balance between commercial vitality and orderly development.

Given the wide variation in structural conditions among the district's older buildings, it has adopted a building-by-building review process, assessing safety while ensuring each venue's layout aligns with the visual character of the ancient town.

Several rooftop venues in repurposed old buildings have become popular nighttime destinations, including restaurants that combine sightseeing with live performances.

Visitors sample local food and enjoy views of the iconic Yellow Crane Tower at night from a rooftop restaurant in Wuchang district, Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (People's Daily Online/Peng Yundi)

A visitor photographs the iconic Yellow Crane Tower at night from a rooftop restaurant in Wuchang district, Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Wen)

A performance is staged on a rooftop venue in Wuchang district, Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Wuchang District Committee)