CHONGQING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Despite outside temperatures nearing 40 levels Celsius in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, Australian vacationer Roy Rostand was having fun with hotpot at a restaurant with out air-con, apparently feeling no discomfort from the summer time warmth.
The reply to his consolation lies within the restaurant’s unlikely location. This hotpot restaurant, named Underground City, is hidden inside a former air-raid shelter, one of many metropolis’s distinctive areas providing pure coolness.
“It’s amazing that the restaurant stays so cool even in scorching summer heat,” Rostand mentioned. “Chongqing has given me the chance to experience something I can’t find in Australia.”
Chongqing has lengthy been dubbed one among China’s “furnace cities” for its sweltering, humid summers. In July alone, town endured 26 consecutive days of excessive warmth, with temperatures breaching 40 levels Celsius for a full week and topping out at a scorching 41.6 levels.
The blazing warmth, nevertheless, has did not dampen the passion of world vacationers. According to the Chongqing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, greater than 610,000 inbound and outbound journeys by overseas nationals had been recorded at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport within the first half of the 12 months, marking an 86-percent surge 12 months on 12 months. The high 5 supply nations had been Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
European vacationers proved to be a standout development driver. Data from Trip.com exhibits that as of July 21, inbound journey bookings from Europe to Chongqing for this summer time season climbed by over 40 % 12 months on 12 months, whereas scenic spot ticket orders surged by 214.7 % and activity-based bookings rocketed by a staggering 6,900 %.
Thanks to China’s visa-free insurance policies and different journey facilitation measures, Chongqing is quickly gaining traction as a go-to “coolcation” hotspot for worldwide guests. Creative cool-off areas, various journey experiences and complete summer time companies have all contributed to its rising attraction.
UNDERGROUND COOL
Chongqing’s summer time cooling secrets and techniques had been first discovered underground. Since the late Thirties, town has carved hundreds of air-raid shelters into its mountainous terrain.
Once serving as sanctuaries for civilians through the Chinese People’s War of Resistance in opposition to Japanese Aggression, these areas have now been repurposed as hotpot eating places, tea homes and venues for Sichuan Opera performances, offering each refreshing coolness and preserving town’s dwelling reminiscences.
“The temperature inside the shelters remains around 25 degrees Celsius all year round, making them natural cool retreats,” defined Wang Jing, advertising and marketing director of Underground City.
“We serve more than 300 tables a day on weekends,” she added. “Right now, about one in every six diners is from overseas. And we’re seeing more and more visitors from Southeast Asia and Europe.”
Annika, a vacationer from Germany, revealed that the restaurant has gone viral on abroad social media platforms. “We were attracted not only by this unique way of escaping the summer heat, but also by the opportunity to dine in a place filled with history and culture,” she mentioned.
CHASING CHILL
On August 1, Chongqing issued an orange warmth alert. At a water park in its Fuling District, 10 tonnes of business ice had been dumped straight into the wave pool. Half-submerged within the refreshing water, guests might splash round and even play mahjong at custom-made tables within the pool.
This distinctive summer time cooling scene has attracted protection from mainstream media in nations together with Russia and Canada, with abroad retailers reportedly dubbing it probably the most intriguing summer time spectacle in China this 12 months.
At Chongqing Xingrui worldwide journey service, inquiries from cross-border vacationers hailing from scorching and humid areas equivalent to Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia have risen notably in latest weeks.
Peng Hengcong, head of the journey company, mentioned they’ve rolled out themed tour merchandise, together with “cool retreats in the mountains” and “gorge rapids adventures,” tailor-made to abroad guests looking for summer time cooling experiences. These merchandise cowl areas with increased altitudes or wealthy water programs in Chongqing, with the spotlight being a “23C summer” expertise.
Luo Zibai, an knowledgeable with the China Tourism Academy, believes that Chongqing’s sustained recognition amongst vacationers lies in its skill to completely leverage its distinctive strengths and develop differentiated tourism merchandise that supply a broad spectrum of experiences.
URBAN REFUGE
Chongqing is weaving a citywide “cooling network” — starting from procuring malls to public amenities, and from indoor areas to outside areas.
At a shopping center referred to as The Ring within the metropolis, guests are greeted not by countless rows of retailers, however by a lush indoor rainforest. With misting programs and punctiliously designed lighting, the mall retains the temperature at about 21 levels Celsius, making a cool, dreamy summer time escape.
“I like Chongqing a lot because it has its own character,” mentioned Bilal Badri, who was visiting from the Netherlands. “The way nature and the city’s landscape blend together here is just perfect.”
The cool expertise extends past the mall. In the Mountain City Alley historic district, a 400-meter-long pedestrian walkway has been remodeled right into a “cooling corridor,” the place misting programs and shaded areas scale back the perceived temperature by 3 to five levels Celsius.
In addition, since July 8, Chongqing’s rail transit system has arrange cooling zones in 158 metro stations, providing free air-conditioned areas and heat-relief provides to residents and vacationers alike.
“Chongqing’s creative and thoughtful ways to help people beat the summer heat are impressive. It’s really interesting to discover these unique experiences,” mentioned Alexandra, a Romanian vacationer. “This time I didn’t stay long enough to explore more of the city, and I’m planning to come back in the near future.”