Cultural tours light up nightlife as destinations experience overwhelming crowds

Residents dine out in a restaurant in the Nanqiang Street of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 11, 2023. The street, located in downtown Kunming, has seen a robust recovery of the nighttime economy. Tourists here can experience local food culture and nightlife of Kunming. Photo: Xinhua

During the peak summer travel season this year, many popular tourist destinations in China have experienced overwhelming crowds, making it challenging for tourists to secure tickets. Given these circumstances, cultural venues in many places have recently announced extended opening hours, allowing people to explore during the evening hours.

For instance, the Shaanxi History Museum has extended the opening hours to 8 pm every Sunday since mid-July, while the Beijing-based National Museum of Classic Books has decided to stay open until 8 pm from July 18 to August 27, featuring a range of nighttime activities.

In ancient China, a tradition of night tours, entertainment and banquets thrived. When night fell, people would engage in activities such as reciting ­poems, appreciating the moon's beauty and engaging in tea-fueled conversations, said Wang Bin, curator of the Tang West Market Museum, a private on-site museum in Xi'an featuring the culture of the Silk Road. "We integrate these cultural elements into the activities so that children can fully immerse themselves in the nocturnal experiences of ancient civilizations right at the original West Market site, and this approach has been welcomed by both parents and children," Wang said.

Cui Yan, a professor engaged in cultural tourism research at Xi'an University of Science and Technology, said the temperature is more comfortable when traveling at night during the scorching summer, and the extended opening hours of cultural venues have provided more choices for locals as well as tourists to enjoy the night.

To meet people's growing demand for night travel, China has vigorously developed a night culture and night tourism economy in recent years, with some places winning fame for night fairs and performances. Even at 10:30 pm, subways in many cities remain bustling with people and the night fairs continue to buzz with diners.

According to Cui, nighttime cultural excursions have changed the conventional tourism model of "traveling during the day and sleeping at night," infusing vitality into people's nightlife.