Developing the "night economy" to light up the "night city"
2024-08-19
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Editor’s Note:
As China's visa-free "circle of friends" continues to expand, "China Travel" is popular on global social media, and "City is not a City" is quickly becoming popular across the country. Beijing, as the capital of China, a world-famous ancient capital and a modern international city, has become a popular choice and an important window for tourists at home and abroad. Therefore, the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Guangming.com jointly planned and launched a series of overseas videos entitled "Beijing, Please Answer - The "V View" Operation of a Super City", which collects what overseas bloggers and experts and scholars have seen, heard, thought and thought, and uses the "micro" scenes of super cities as the entry point to explore and reveal the secrets with immersive experience as the main line. Under each recording lens, tell the story of Beijing in the new era; in a series of theoretical reviews, interpret the development of Beijing in the new era, and show the charm of Beijing to overseas netizens and young groups, while outlining a real and tangible image of China.
As an emerging mixed consumption model, "night economy" has not only enriched the life experience of residents, but also promoted the recovery of the cultural tourism market, becoming an important engine for expanding consumer demand and promoting domestic demand growth. In 2019, Beijing issued the "Measures on Further Prospering the Night Economy and Promoting Consumption Growth" (i.e. "Night Economy 1.0 Policy"), marking the entry of "night economy" into a new era of high-quality development. Subsequently, Beijing successively launched the "Night Economy 2.0 Policy" and the "Night Economy 3.0 Policy", laying out the construction of "Night Beijing" consumption landmarks, check-in places, and living circles, further expanding diversified nighttime consumption.
As night falls and the lights come on, the Liangmahe International Waterfront is one of the characteristic consumption landmarks of "Night Beijing" and a microcosm of the booming "night economy" in Beijing. In the overseas video series "Beijing, Please Answer - The "V View" Operation of a Megacity", British blogger David (Retro Family Chinese Life) and Ma Haitao, Chief of the Planning and Construction Section of the Chaoyang District Water Affairs Bureau of Beijing, took a night tour of the Liangmahe River to experience the charming charm of this international waterfront. "Beijing has been working hard to protect the ecological environment. As a foreigner, I can easily enjoy the good life in Beijing with my passport, which makes me look forward to coming to Beijing again." David hopes to bring his family to Beijing next time to experience the prosperous charm of "Night Beijing".
At present, Beijing has cultivated 13 "Night Beijing" characteristic consumption landmarks including Blue Harbor-Liangmahe International Waterfront, 38 integrated consumption check-in spots and 30 quality consumption life circle points, making Beijing's night consumption scenes more vivid and night consumption supply more diversified, fully stimulating the vitality of night consumption.
Beijing's "night economy" has provided an important driving force for stimulating urban consumption and promoting economic prosperity. First, it promotes urban employment and revitalizes the city. The development of the "night economy" can not only show local cultural characteristics, add "fireworks" to the city, and enhance the urban life experience, but also expand domestic demand, create more employment opportunities and jobs, improve urban governance, improve urban operation efficiency, and revitalize the city. Second, it promotes the upgrading of consumption formats and meets the needs of residents for a better life. The development carriers of the "night economy" are constantly optimized and upgraded. From traditional night markets to new night markets and then to business districts, the "night economy" formats are constantly enriched, and the full-chain service functions of "eating, living, traveling, traveling, shopping, and entertainment" are gradually upgraded, showing higher quality and richer content, and constantly meeting the needs of residents for a better life. Third, it enhances the attractiveness of the capital and shapes the image of an international city. The prosperity of the "night economy" not only adds color to Beijing's urban image, but also demonstrates the charm and inclusiveness of Beijing as a modern international metropolis. For example, in the video “Beijing, Please Answer — The “V-View” Operation of a Megacity”, the line “How beautiful is Beijing’s waterfront scenery? Come take a night cruise on Liangma River and you’ll find out!” This case uses the first-person perspective of an overseas blogger to share content, which not only enhances the audience’s sense of immersion and strengthens emotional resonance, but also contributes to the international communication of Beijing’s image.
In April 2024, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce and eight other departments jointly issued the "Action Plan for Promoting the Integration and High-Quality Development of Diversified Consumption Formats" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), which once again proposed to prosper nighttime consumption scenes. The "Plan" proposes to give play to the leading and driving role of "Night Beijing" characteristic consumption landmarks and quality consumption life circles, guide market players to develop night shopping, night eating, night tours and other projects, optimize the operation time of urban transportation such as subways, and continue to create national-level nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clusters. This provides directional guidance for further building "Night Beijing" and promoting the continuous upgrading of Beijing's "night economy" towards industrialization, specialization and quality.
In the future, Beijing will further stimulate the vitality of nighttime consumption. On the one hand, it will strengthen planning and layout, and create characteristic nighttime consumption clusters. Through systematic planning, Beijing's nighttime economic formats and spatial layout will be optimized, and diversified nighttime consumption clusters will be built. First, we will dig deep into the characteristics of consumption resources in each district, and develop unique nighttime consumption products according to different seasons and occasions. Second, we will encourage the cultivation and construction of consumption clusters with regional characteristics, including diversified nighttime entertainment, sports, health care and other formats, to enhance the nighttime consumption atmosphere and overall benefits, and enrich the nighttime consumption formats. Third, we will encourage the integration of science and technology and cultural innovation, and enhance the scientific and cultural level of the "night economy", such as encouraging science and technology museums, museums, bookstores, etc. to extend their business hours.
On the other hand, efforts will be made to improve the supporting services for the "night economy" and enhance the level of refined management. First, a sound service guarantee mechanism will be established, and the forces of the public security, urban management, fire protection, market supervision and other departments will be coordinated to strengthen support and guidance for the development of night consumption clusters in various districts, improve nighttime public transportation infrastructure and public services, and increase the convenience, activity and safety of residents' nighttime consumption. Second, the management level of nighttime activities will be improved, and the training and management of "night economy" related practitioners will be strengthened to create a good "night economy" environment and ensure the good development of related industries.
The "international style", "literary flavor" and "fireworks" that Liangmahe continuously releases witness the continuous renewal and vibrant transformation of the Liangmahe Cultural and Economic Zone. Summer is the peak season for the "night economy". Data shows that more than 60% of consumption in my country occurs at night, and the scale of the night economy market has exceeded 50 trillion yuan. In the future, Beijing's "night economy" is expected to continue to grow, promoting the continued recovery and expansion of consumption.
(Authors Huang Qinghua and Hu Mengjia are vice dean, professor, and doctoral supervisor of the School of Economics and Management of Southwest University; doctoral students of the Institute of Finance and Economics of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics)
Source: Guangming.com
