Nighttime tourism booms, injecting fresh vitality into cultural tourism

Visitors enjoy a nighttime performance at Qifu Square in the Hetou Old Street scenic area, Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Wen Baolong)

Nighttime tourism has been booming in many parts of China this summer. No longer limited to sightseeing, nighttime tours have evolved into experiences that combine sightseeing, participation and consumption. As demand for nighttime activities continues to grow, new experiences and spaces are emerging, unlocking consumption potential and injecting fresh vitality into the culture and tourism market.

As night falls, the Hetou Old Street scenic area in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, comes alive with dazzling lights. Nearly 100 performers are stationed throughout the scenic area, making visitors feel as though they have stepped into a live performance.

During the summer, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing regularly opens its dedicated nighttime tour route, offering domestic and international visitors an all-day experience — taking in panoramic views during the day, enjoying the sunset and experiencing immersive light and shadow shows after dark.

Wei Jian, director of the tourism research institute at online travel platform Mafengwo, said that this summer's nighttime tourism market has shifted from traditional light shows to immersive theater experiences. Visitors are no longer passive spectators but participants and co-creators of the stories unfolding around them.

A tourist takes part in an archery game at Splendid China Folk Village in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo courtesy of the scenic area)

This summer, new nighttime consumption venues, including museums, urban landmarks, Chinese-style markets and food streets, have emerged rapidly, reshaping the landscape of nighttime cultural and tourism consumption.

Qi Chunguang, vice president of online travel agency Tuniu, said a number of nighttime tourist destinations combining local characteristics with innovative experiences have gained popularity. For instance, stargazing camps and large-scale concerts under the stars at the Mingsha Mountain in the desert in northwest China's Gansu Province offer tourists an immersive experience.

Some cities are also leveraging their unique resources to create diverse nighttime tourism experiences. According to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Beijing has integrated resources including the Beijing Central Axis, waterfront areas, Great Wall water towns and trendy commercial districts to launch a series of distinctive night-tour activities this summer.

A tourist takes a night tour of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing. (Photo courtesy of the scenic area)

Nighttime tourism has also been closely integrated with light and shadow performances, nighttime water tours, rural intangible cultural heritage activities and sporting events, creating a new nighttime tourism ecosystem that offers visitors multiple experiences and forms of consumption in a single trip.

Rural nighttime tourism is also gaining appeal. Villages across the country are bringing rural nighttime resources to life through intangible cultural heritage performances and distinctive nighttime entertainment, transforming short daytime trips into more immersive overnight experiences.

Chimelong Hengqin Resort in Hengqin, south China's Guangdong Province, has launched an international fireworks festival for the summer season. (Photo courtesy of the scenic area)