A bite of night in Kunming

Over recent months, “night economy” has become a new concept in China which keeps sparking people’s curiosity and interest. Following the “new normal” brought by the COVID-19 pandemic of this year, it has been considered a new drive for the country’s economic growth. In Yunnan province specifically, “night economy” can be observed from several perspectives, encompassing food consumption, nighttime learning, nighttime sports and so forth. It, as a recent phenomenon in the economic realm, has not only provided more options for citizens when they enjoy urban life, but injected new energy to the province’s development of tourism as a whole.

A bite of night

Eating is an indispensable part of people’s nightlife in many cities across China, and Kunming — the capital of Yunnan province — is not an exception. After the sun sets, the “night mode” of this vibrant city is turned on literally, as swarms of citizens and tourists flock to the Nanqiang Pedestrian Street, Spring City 66, Shuncheng Shopping Mall, Park 1903 and some other commercial centers in the downtown.

“Please welcome our pizza master to show his skills and in the same time bring us with creamy and yummy Musang King durian pizzas from Malaysia,” said an event host at the Spring City 66. Every Friday, fancy themed parties would take place on the rooftop patio of this commercial center, with dozens of young people chatting, watching live music and dance shows while enjoying cocktails and freshly-cooked pizzas until late.

“We decide to hold themed parties on Friday nights because they are the best time for citizens to chill out after a week of tiring work,” a manager of the Spring City 66 told us. “Recently, we have involved more restaurants and stores here into our parties so that consumers can have more choices and gain different experiences every time they come over at night”.

As one of Kunming’s largest and latest shopping complexes, the Spring City 66, which was opened in October, 2019, has been working hard to mitigate the negative effects brought by the COVID-19 pandemic since late February. At present, the number of consumers has almost resumed to the same level as it was before the outbreak of pandemic.

The same as the Spring City 66, the Nanqiang Pedestrian Street is also an urban landmark of Kunming as well as one paradise for local foodies. Beer, Chinese barbecues, hot and spicy crayfish as well as Takoyaki (a Japanese styled octopus balls) can all be encountered here. One can stroll in this street and have bites of snacks that he finds interesting or appealing, just as how people would do at any night market across Asia.

 Mystic South-Yunnan Ethnic Cuisine is a Kunming-based chain restaurants specializing on Yunnan dishes. In order to create a “down-to-earth” eating atmosphere, its branch at Nanqiang Street even set up a pop-up stall, selling deep-fried potato cakes, oufen (a snack made from lotus root starch) as well as Laozao (a sweet dessert containing glutinous rice balls) which attract hundreds of customers every night.

Yang Mei, the manager, told reporters that apart from this new open-air stall, the restaurant has extended its opening hours in order to meet the increasing demand of consumers recently as the pandemic ends. Moreover, Chinese barbecues and fresh juices have been added to the menu, in hope of providing new choices to customers.

Today, the number of restaurants, shops and stalls along the Nanqiang Pedestrian Street have exceeded 40, and each of them has its own way to attract people’s attention, from delicious Yunnan snacks to cuisines of Thailand and other southeast Asian countries, from beers and cocktails to souvenirs with creative designs. The street has already become a popular tourist destination in Kunming, especially for food lovers.

On the 4th floor at Kunming’s Shuncheng Shopping Center, there is a delicate restaurant serving authentic Japanese barbecues. Around midnight, this restaurant is still crammed with customers, which reminds people of Midnight Canteen, a popular Japanese TV series firstly released in 2009.

According to Liu Linsheng, one director of the restaurant, they usually open from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. of the next day. In these hours, waiters and waitresses would put on T-shirts, jeans or other casual clothes, in hope of creating a relaxing atmosphere in which diners can stop worrying, forget about troubles, and start enjoying the food in front of them.

This, nevertheless, is not the whole story of eating at night in Kunming. Local restauranteurs have never stopped exploring new business modes under night economy. And we, as consumers, may never know what surprises will come to knock our door.

Writing by Li Zha, Li Hengqiang, Yao Chengcheng and Han Chengyuan; trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong; photographs by Chen Chuangye