"Even at Midnight, 400 Million Open Their Wallets"... China's Night Economy Heats Up with 60 Trillion Yuan [China.zip]

Emerging as a New Driver of Consumption
Diversifying Offerings from Food to Entertainment

Editor's NoteThis is a serialized project that 'unpacks' only the most essential and interesting stories about China's vast and complex economy, society, and culture.

Across China, economic activities centered on food, performances, and sports events that can be enjoyed from evening until early the next morning—collectively called the "night economy" (夜間經濟)—are drawing attention as a new driving force for consumption. The scope is rapidly expanding beyond simply enjoying food at night markets, now encompassing nighttime visits to landmarks, concerts, ballet performances, and sporting events. Many places also offer locally crafted goods and exclusive merchandise that can only be found in those regions. Local expectations are high that this burgeoning "night economy" could invigorate China's sluggish domestic market.

AI-generated image.

On August 16, China Central Television (CCTV) reported, "A few years ago, tourists used to flock to attractions during the daytime, but recently, as tourism moves toward experience-based programs that leverage culture and history, the night economy has become a new source of vitality."

Diversifying with Food, Experiences, and Goods

In Hunan Province, which welcomes the summer tourism season, an average of 12,000 tourists visit each day, with 70% coming at night. Just a few years ago, the annual number of tourists was less than 200,000. However, by demolishing illegal buildings and investing in restoration and renovation projects, the province has significantly strengthened its nighttime operations. As a result, the proportion of nighttime tourists surged from 45% in 2023 to 72% last year, with a total of about 6.53 million visitors reported. Hunan has greatly expanded its range of cultural tourism content available at night. Last year, its nighttime cultural tourism sales rose more than 10% from the previous year, surpassing 480 billion yuan (approximately KRW 98.67 trillion).

This year, Shanghai has centrally organized around 200 special nighttime events, including opportunities for shopping, dining, reading, as well as carnivals, performances, and beer festivals. Last year, the scale of nighttime consumption in Shanghai grew by 6.6% from the previous year, with nighttime shopping in particular surging by over 40%. Cultural and experiential spending increased by more than 30%. The city is also ramping up incentives with nighttime consumption vouchers and events like gold bar lotteries.

Beijing has also established a multifaceted consumption environment by integrating shopping, dining, cultural tourism, and entertainment around three main pillars: landmarks, hotspots, and residential areas.

In particular, there is a strong trend to connect cultural and arts content—such as performances and exhibitions—with related industries including dining, accommodations, and shopping. In Beijing, visitors can use tickets from performances or exhibitions to get discounts at over 150 nearby stores. Street vendors selling food, drinks, and unique crafted goods line the areas around major theaters and performance halls.

The use of museums and historic sites as nighttime content is also increasing. The façade of the National Museum of Natural History in Beijing now serves as the backdrop for spectacular light shows, watched by visitors sitting on the plaza in front of the building. Nearby businesses sell novelty treats, such as cookies shaped like dinosaur bones or cakes inspired by the Jurassic era, that are gaining popularity. Regional specialties, like Beijing-style stir-fried noodles, are available at neighboring restaurants.

Alongside these developments, law enforcement is also stepping up public safety and order. Local media report that police have ramped up patrols in response to the increase in people out enjoying summer nights. With the rise in nighttime dining, social gatherings, and outdoor relaxation, patrols in popular tourist destinations and major commercial districts—areas with high population density—have been significantly strengthened.

Evening Consumption More Than Doubles in Five Years

More and more people in China are enjoying night markets. Xiaohongshu.

According to local media, the size of China's night economy was 22.54 trillion yuan in 2018, grew to 50.25 trillion yuan in 2023, and surpassed around 55 trillion yuan last year. The figure is expected to approach 60 trillion yuan this year.

According to research released by China-based market research firm QuestMobile, approximately 937 million people engaged in nighttime activities in May this year, marking a 4.6% increase from the same period last year. Notably, between midnight and 2 a.m., 440 million people made purchases—up 16.9% year-over-year.

According to the 'Urban Residents’ Consumption Habits Survey Report' published by the Ministry of Commerce, about 60% of urban residents’ spending occurs in the evening, and major shopping malls make more than half of their daily sales between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. On a per capita basis, nighttime tourist spending is three times that of spending during the day.

The China Tourism Research Institute’s '2025 China Night Economy Development Report' noted that between January and October last year, money spent by tourists in the evening accounted for 32.9% of total daily tourism consumption nationwide. In response, China has expanded policy support. In September last year, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce jointly announced a proposal to develop the night economy and create night culture and tourism consumption clusters. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has designated 345 night culture and tourism consumption clusters across three rounds. This year, several local governments have rolled out new programs to bolster service consumption even further.

Challenges: Uniform Menus, Noise, and More

Although special support policies have been launched to energize night markets in cities throughout China, many challenges remain.

Chief among them is the ubiquity of uniform, popular foods; items such as grilled skewers, stinky tofu, and milk tea set menus have become so common that there is little differentiation. There are calls for more local specialties and memorable flavors that draw consumers back, but these remain lacking in many cases. It has also been pointed out that at some venues, dazzling shows emphasizing spectacle over substance diminish the actual experience. If the perception that "once is enough" continues to spread, long-term growth will be difficult to achieve.

There is also a downside to the benefits of job creation and stimulating consumption, including noise pollution, environmental contamination, and food safety issues. Local experts stress that for the night economy to become a sustainable consumption driver, governance must be strengthened in areas like noise reduction, waste collection efficiency, and deployment of security personnel.

Bushi Ting, chair of the Cultural Tourism Industry Committee of the China Cultural Industry Association, said, "As the age range of nighttime visitors diversifies, we must respond to demands for customized guided tours and educational programs," adding, "It is important to expand the use of intellectual property (IP) licensing, foster collaboration with other industries, and promote the adoption of membership-based systems."

Chairperson Bushi also emphasized improving transportation infrastructure and accessibility. He stated, "We need to add more late-night bus services and extend subway operating hours in major areas," and "expand the concept of a '15-minute cultural consumption zone' so that cultural activities spread from key attractions to surrounding commercial areas." He concluded that "as cultural infrastructure and related services are continually enhanced, the night economy can establish itself as a long-term growth engine."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.