2019年CRI Nighttime economy booms in China

 

Several cities in China have issued policies to boost the development of the nighttime economy, which has become a new source of demand for domestic consumption.

A report released by the e-commerce giant Alibaba shows that nighttime consumption accounts for 36 percent of consumption in a day.

The company's online mall Taobao sees the largest number of purchases made in the hour between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The report also says that eateries, malls, scenic¹ spots, and other places for entertainment have taken the front seat when it comes to China's robust² nighttime consumption.

A number of tourist attractions across the country have begun night tours to attract visitors who prefer to enjoy scenery at night.

Travelers in Shandong can now travel on pleasure boats in a scenic spot in Jinan at nighttime to enjoy Daming Lake and the moat surrounding the old town.

"I think it's quite beautiful. I've always heard of Daming Lake, but I've never been here before. I'm enjoying it today, I'll appreciate the nighttime view, and leave before it's too late, then I'll come back here again tomorrow during the daytime," says a tourist who takes a pleasure boat.

Visits to catering³ services at night have also contributed a lot to the boom in nighttime consumption.

Catering consumption at night jumped by 47 percent last year compared to the previous year, two percentage points higher than the growth in daytime consumption.

Many people say they enjoy having the opportunity to relax with friends and have a midnight snack.

"Our life during the daytime is quite busy and fast-paced, so we only have time to relax at night after work. We often have some seafood⁴ or barbecue as a midnight snack," says a consumer from Beijing.

Cultural services are also getting in on the act by offering more options for night owls⁵.

Beijing is planning to launch nighttime activities such as plays, comedy performances, films, operas, and live music.

This will give a boost of support to the city's brick-and-mortar bookstores that are open 24 hours a day, and will encourage museums and galleries to keep their doors open later.

In other cities, 11 museums in Guangzhou are now open to visitors at night, while the Shanghai Wild Animal Park has launched a night safari⁶ program.

President Dai Bin⁷ of the China Tourism Academy said the development of China's nighttime economy offers great potential.

"People are basically working during the daytime, and hardly have time to consume, so an upsurge of consumption often occurs at night, especially between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tourists' demand for nighttime tours is high, and 80 percent of the 637 tourism enterprises we surveyed are calling for more suppliers to launch night tours," says Dai.

Observers suggest that the concerns of consumers and nighttime businesses should be addressed to better develop the nighttime economy.

1 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

2 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

3 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

4 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

5 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

6 safari   

n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队

参考例句：

• When we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时，喜欢露天生火做饭。
• They went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行，搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。

7 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。