Chongqing No 1 for its nighttime economy

The 2023 Chongqing Nightlife Festival kicked off on Wednesday night at Liberation Monument, a landmark downtown, as Chongqing continues to drive economic growth.

More than 200 activities will be held throughout the city until September, including a themed consumption promotion event for five consecutive nights, music festivals and beer culture festivals, the organizing committee said.

The fourth China (Chongqing) Night Economy Development Summit Forum was also held on Wednesday.

According to a report released at the forum, Chongqing topped the list of Chinese cities for its nighttime economy. It is the fourth consecutive year that the municipality has won the honor, the municipal commerce commission said.

Other major cities — Shanghai, Changsha, Beijing, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Nanjing — rounded out the 2023 China nighttime economic development index, which was released by domestic market consultancy iiMedia Research.

"Chongqing has combined nighttime tourism with consumption in a good way and shows impressive statistics in its nighttime economy," said Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst of the iiMedia.

Since 2019, city authorities nationwide have beefed up measures to develop nighttime economies and encourage post-dusk business activities and later closing hours at museums and art galleries.