Zibo goes viral: Barbecue craze draws huge crowds 淄博火了:烧烤热吸引了大量人群
Just over a month ago, no one would have imagined that Zibo, a relatively obscure 默默无闻的 city situated in central Shandong province in eastern China, would emerge as one of the most sought-after 受欢迎的，很吃香的 travel destinations for the upcoming Labor Day holiday.
And yet, this previously overlooked 被忽视的 city has experienced a staggering 大得惊人的，令人吃惊的 2,000% rise in tourism bookings during the holiday season when compared with the same period last year.
What could be behind this huge surge in visitors? Well, the answer is... barbecue!
Let's take a look at the barbecue scene in Zibo. Check out the bustling 熙熙攘攘的，忙乱的 stalls, the long lines snaking 蜿蜒 hundreds of meters, people bringing their own stools to sit on, and diners who are so eager to eat that they don't even mind standing. Some stalls even use loudspeakers to drive customers away to other stores when they run out of ingredients. Since early March, after the topic "eating barbecue in Zibo" quickly spread on social media, such scenes have become the norm 常态.
You might think that for it to become so popular, attracting people from all over China and even overseas, there must be something special about Zibo barbecue, right?
Indeed, fresh skewers 烤肉叉子, cooked over charcoal 木炭, sizzling with oil, crispy on the outside and tender inside, with a mouth-watering aroma – coupled with the unique "three-piece set 三件套" of scallions, small pancakes and dipping sauce 葱、小煎饼和蘸酱– Zibo barbecue retains the essence of Shandong cuisine, the top of the eight great Chinese culinary traditions. It's simply irresistible 简直无法抗拒.
But as we all know, Chinese cuisine is rich and diverse, and there are many famous local variations of barbecue. The reason for Zibo's popularity is actually another story.
After Zibo barbecue started trending online, the local government quickly added special "barbecue trains" on weekends, added 21 customized barbecue bus lines, and released an official barbecue food map. Volunteers were also dispatched 派遣 to the railway station to provide tourists with advice and recommendations. Relevant departments also coordinated with scenic spots in advance, allowing tourists to enter designated scenic spots for free with their high-speed rail tickets 允许游客凭高铁车票免费进入指定景区.
To improve the environment for tourists, government departments in Zibo have taken early action, stipulating 规定，明确要求 that taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter or take passengers will be immediately suspended. Strict supervision has also been implemented to prevent such behavior as inflating prices and short-weighting.
Furthermore, Zibo has gone the extra mile 做比期望的多得多的努力 by offering complimentary 免费赠送的 sightseeing tours of the city to college students as a means of attracting top talent and drawing their attention to the city. 为大学生提供免费的城市观光旅游，以吸引顶尖人才，吸引他们对城市的关注。
As such, it was the collective efforts and swift response by the government and the public that ultimately fueled Zibo's popularity following its unexpected "viral rise." 因此，正是政府和公众的集体努力和迅速反应，最终助燃了淄博。
in recent years, many areas have been exploring new ways to boost cultural and tourism promotion and foster economic growth. Zibo's efforts indicate that the city's administration is attuned to evolving social trends and responsive to new demands from the public. 淄博的努力表明，该市政府顺应了不断变化的社会趋势，并对公众的新需求做出了回应。Their active and service-oriented approach toward enterprises, tourists and talent deserves high praise. 他们对企业、游客和人才的积极服务态度值得高度赞扬。
China is making continuous efforts to transform government functions, implement innovative administrative methods, and construct a service-oriented administration. While the popularity of barbecue may wane 衰落，减少；消逝 over time, the path toward transformation will lead to greater sustainability.转型之路将带来更大的可持续性。
Hopefully, what attract people now will be an attraction for a longer time.
China’s ‘outdoor barbecue capital’ Zibo joins cities capping hotel room rates ahead of May Day holiday | South China Morning Post (scmp.com) 中国的“户外烧烤之都”淄博在五一假期前加入了限制酒店房价的城市行列
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Zibo in Shandong province has become the latest Chinese city to put a cap on hotel room rates ahead of the upcoming holiday, also referred to as ‘golden week’
山东省淄博市成为中国最新一个在即将到来的黄金周假期前限制酒店房价的城市。
The city, which recently found online fame for its barbecue restaurants, is limiting the increase to 50 per cent
这座城市最近因其烧烤餐厅而在网上声名鹊起，它将上调幅度限制在50%以内
Zibo in Shandong province has become the latest mainland Chinese city to put a cap on 对……加以限制 hotel room rates ahead of the upcoming May Day holiday, also known as “golden week”.
Local authorities in the eastern city have stepped in to rein in prices during the five-day national holiday that starts on April 29, allowing a maximum 50 per cent increase.
The little known eastern city suddenly emerged as a popular destination this year after being dubbed 被称为 the “outdoor barbecue capital”, sparking an online craze 狂热. Hotels in the city centre are “basically fully booked” for next week, local authorities said on Wednesday.
The city became a trending topic on social media again when a tourist said he was informed by the Hilton Garden Inn Zibo Zhangdian hotel that the room he had booked for over 1,000 yuan (US$144) on May 1 would now only cost 571 yuan. The manager explained to him that the government is trying to stop hotels overcharging and has put in place measures to regulate prices.
A member of staff at the hotel confirmed the policy to the Post, saying the current prices are the normal rates.
At Hampton by Hilton Zibo Zhangdian, another hotel under the franchise, a staffer surnamed Zhang said “the government allows room rates to be adjusted within 50 per cent of the original price.”
The hotel is asking 658 yuan for a room per night during the holiday, up from 498 yuan previously.
In comparison, room rates at Hampton by Hilton Jinan High-Tech Zone in the neighbouring city of Jinan start from 1,098 yuan per night. Other cities such as Tianjin and Suzhou have seen prices double or triple between May 1 and May 3.
Zibo is not the only recent example of Chinese authorities intervening in the hospitality market to keep prices in check ahead of the golden week.
On April 21, market regulators in Dali, a popular destination in southwestern Yunnan province, told guest house operators to “make prices transparent” and not to “raise prices arbitrarily 任意提高价格” during the holiday.
Officials in Changsha in Hunan province, Yanbian in Jilin, Jining in Shandong as well as Jiangsu province have issued similar warnings.
Zibo is seeing a huge influx of visitors who are drawn by the open-air barbecue stalls there. On Wednesday, local authorities warned that the city is beyond its capacity to receive so many visitors.
The city’s move to regulate room rates gained a lot of praise on social media, in the wake a recent public outcry over guest houses across China cancelling bookings and hiking their prices for the holiday period.
“Although hoteliers are unable to tap ‘quick money’ during the golden week, the city is working on improving its tourism industry, and the hotel occupancy rate will still go up during the low season. This is still a good business deal 虽然酒店经营者无法在黄金周期间赚到“快钱”，但该市正在努力改善其旅游业，酒店入住率在淡季仍将上升。这仍然是一笔不错的交易,” one user wrote on Weibo, China’s popular social media platform.
“Zibo, I owe you a train ticket and a barbecue meal. I will return the favour soon,” the user added.
Popular Zibo barbecue epitome of Chinese strive for excellence
广受欢迎的淄博烧烤是中国人精益求精的缩影
The local government of Zibo, East China's Shandong Province, has issued two open letters in a short time to all citizens, extending its gratitude for their warmth and hospitality toward visitors who have come to enjoy the city's signature barbecue, which has recently become a hit across the country. Such an unexpected success has shown the city's spirit of unity and tenacity, which will surely further boost its tourism and economic development. 这一意想不到的成功展示了这座城市团结和坚韧的精神，必将进一步促进其旅游业和经济的发展。
Since early March, Zibo local barbecue caused a sensation 轰动 online. The little double-layer stove, small pancakes, green onions and sauce became icons among netizens. According to reports, Zibo received 4.8 million visitors in March, a year-on-year increase of 134 percent, and tourist revenue 旅游收入 was up by 60 percent. A total of 1,288 barbecue businesses served 135,800 customers a day on average, most of whom were university students from across the province and nationwide.
According to a CCTV-2 report, many hotels in Zibo have been fully booked ahead of the May Day holidays, with reservations rising by 800 percent from 2019, ranking first in Shandong Province. Zibo's booming tourism has become a highlight of China's tourist market in 2023.
For a long time, Zibo was a "mediocre 平庸的" city in almost all aspects on the Chinese scale. However, "taking the high-speed train to taste barbecue in Zibo" miraculously became a trending hashtag 热门话题标签 for this non-traditional tourist city. But how did Zibo rise to fame? This has not been some random coincidence. 但淄博是如何成名的呢?这并不是偶然的巧合。
First, it comes down to the ambition, determination and creativity of the city government. 归根结底，这是市政府的雄心、决心和创造力
From July 2022 to February 2023, Zibo organized many trips to the city for university students. When the number of visits reached its peak, it did not panic but soon put forward several supportive policies, such as setting up a "Golden Stove Award," establishing a barbecue association, making a map of Zibo barbecue restaurants, and opening 21 fixed tourist routes in addition to barbecue. It also recruited many volunteers to guide tourists, and appointed personnel to ensure public safety.
Second, Zibo's sudden boom in popularity also resulted from the post-pandemic tourism revival China has experienced. 淄博人气的突飞猛进也得益于疫情后中国旅游业的复苏。
What is different is that the city aims to both revitalize its tourist industry and promote its long-term development. To this end, it provided young people, especially university students, with convenient services and created a welcoming atmosphere. For instance, non-Zibo students can enjoy free stays three times a year for two nights each time at youth inns. It extended invitations to students including those of distinguished universities to visit Zibo for free, a sign showing its thirst for talented young people.
As Ma Xiaolei, Party secretary of Zibo, said, "I believe there will be two-way exchanges between young students in our city, and Zibo will have a brighter future."
Media reports suggested that at least 120,000 people from Beijing alone are expected to visit Zibo by train during the May Day holiday. This influx of tourists will present a significant challenge to the city's capacity so the letters from the Zibo government came just in time.
Zibo can be seen as an epitome / ɪˈpɪtəmi / 典型，缩影 of the whole country for their aspiration to do business and seek development opportunities. With the determination of its government and concerted efforts of its citizens, this conventional heavy industrial city is making every effort to grasp the tourism opportunity and flourish.
"The high-speed railway trains are packed with visiting tourists and the air smells of cumin. “高铁列车上挤满了游客，空气中弥漫着孜然的味道。" This is how netizens described Zibo, a city in East China's Shandong Province over the past month.
Zibo city has recently gone viral on Chinese social media to its local specialty food, Zibo barbecue. The city has recently set up special tourist trains, bus routes to attract swarms 一大群 of tourists, particular the young people to travel to the city to try the barbecue, offering the latest example of step-upped efforts by the local government to promote tourism and drive economic growth after China optimized its COVID-19 approaches.
The barbecue from Zibo is unique and offers a distinctive dining experience. It has a small stove at each table. When the skewers are served, customers have to process them themselves and wrapped them in a thin pancake, usually with a spring onion added. The immersive experience 沉浸式体验 of making customized "Zibo barbecue" offered a sense of participation and leisure time for diners.
An owner of local stand Dazui barbecue surnamed Liu told the Global Times on Monday that his sales on Saturday alone can reach 12,000 yuan ($1,744) and 80 percent of them are tourists from other cities.
“I would suggest the locals to avoid coming on weekends,” Liu said, saying that the number of customers triple over the weekends compared with weekdays.
Another stand owner surnamed Wen told the Global Times that barbecue went viral after local young people shared their experience on social media with pictures and videos.
“The barbecue has a lot of local flavor. I expect to make good money this summer,” Wen said.
According to Radio and TV Station of Zibo, since March, the search volume of local "barbecue" has increased by over 370 percent year-on-year, and the search volume of "Zibo barbecue" on the whole platform has increased by over 770 percent year-on-year.
The local government also took advantage of the Zibo barbecue trend to bring more tourists to the city.
In order to encourage people coming to the city, Zibo set up a specially customized "barbecue map", and added 21 new barbecue bus lines, so that tourists can "get on the bus to rest, get off to eat", paper.cn reported.
Since March 31, China National Railway Jinan Bureau added two bullet trains between Jinan, East China’s Shandong Province and Zibo over the weekends so as to provide convenience for tourists to come and eat barbecue on weekends. The city also offered tourists to visit some scenic spot in the city free of charge with high-speed train tickets.
According to the data released by Zibo Tourism Bureau, on March 5, the number of passengers arrived and departed through Zibo railway station reached 48,000, setting the highest record in nearly three years.
The sudden popularity of Zibo barbecue and its fame on internet is a combination of a number of factors, Zhu Danpeng, a veteran analyst in food industry told the Global Times on Monday.
First and foremost China’s optimized COVID-19 approaches and its emerging out of the epidemic brings the hustle and bustle 熙熙攘攘，忙碌 back to cities. The promotion on social media, such as douyin, also played a role in this, Zhu said.
He noted that Zibo is not the only city that has stepped up efforts to promote its characteristics.
Recently, Jinan, in East China’s Shandong Province is also very lively. Since the beginning of this year, the Chaoran building near the Daming Lake has become popular on social media platform because of a short video of the moment the lights are turned on, and has become an Internet celebrity landmark and a place for tourists to check in.
“At present, the local governments all over the country are using some characteristic scnery and local delicacies to create their own city name cards. 利用一些特色风景和地方美食来打造自己的城市名片。Such as cities like Changsha, Central China’s Hunan Province and Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. All of these are very successful,” Zhu noted.
