As night falls, a mesmerizing light show illuminates a landmark park in Lanzhou, the capital of northwest China's Gansu Province.
Lanzhou has been a popular tourist destination this May Day holiday. Boasting a history of over 2,200 years, Lanzhou has recently become known for its slow-paced lifestyle, vigorous nightlife and relatively cool summer climate.
As the Yellow River runs through the city, the local government has been taking advantage of its appeal and has established diverse spaces and organized live performances along its banks.
When the evening lights flicker on, residents and tourists gather together to create what is known as the Yellow River Chorus. Videos of people waving their hands and phone flashlights to the rhythms of the songs playing around them often go viral on China's social media platforms.
"I was quite interested when I saw the videos online, so I called my friends to come and take a walk. It's like an outdoor live house," said Chen Jiayi, a student at Lanzhou City University.
The Yellow River Chorus was launched on April 23 and has already attracted more than 60,000 tourists. Related vlogs have received more than 170 million views, according to Da Chaorong, director of the management committee of the Yellow River scenic area.
Across the river, a snack street featuring more than 70 local delicacies is luring foodies from around the globe.
Wan Changxin, a 51-year-old vlogger, traveled to the food street after watching videos online. "The tourism in Lanzhou is much hotter this year," Wan said, adding that the city has been a frequent trending topic on social media in 2024.
He Wei, deputy head of the local culture and tourism bureau, said that Lanzhou has been working to boost its nighttime tourism by creating a series of new landmarks and internet-famous check-in spots, in turn spurring its tourism and consumption potential.
"A tourism cluster integrating night fairs, shopping malls, old towns and new scenic spots has greatly invigorated the nightlife along the Yellow River," he said.
