Supporting measures

The government came out with a series of measures to boost the night economy, among which subsidy is the most attractive for business owners.

According to Beijing commerce authorities, the night food blocks can get up to 5 million yuan worth of subsidies and each individual restaurant cannot ask for more than 500,000 yuan.

The definition of the night food block is that it should provide service until midnight and include 24-hour stores in the area. The block should be located in a busy commercial area with its own characteristics. The length of the block should be less than 100 meters and the number of restaurants should be more than 20.

Feng Yonglin, a college student in Haidian district, often goes to Shibaojie street for various snack stands in the evening.

Liu Chang, a young homemaker in Chaoyang district, said she sometimes goes to Hopson One to enjoy a small concert or crosstalk show after her kid goes to bed.

Dong Chen, a single salesman in Dongcheng district, often goes to Ghost Street, or Guijie, to have hot pot and drink with friends.

It seems that people of different ages, with various jobs and social status, can all find a place to spend their nighttime when they don't want to stay at home.

Remaining challenges

The nighttime economy has extended consumption duration, serving as a new breakthrough point in consumption growth. However, problems still exist.

Sun, the deputy director, said a big problem is that the opening time is not stable. Some businesses open this week at night and close up next week, which can mislead consumers, adding difficulties to manage their time.

"It should be more systemized and regulated," he said.

Another problem is that temperatures can fall at night in Beijing, especially in winter, so the businesses have to think up new ideas to attract customers despite the cold.

According to a newly released consumption guide, many shopping malls in the city have opened winter sports-related facilities indoors to attract the public.

Li Zhiqi, vice-chairman of the Association of Industry and Commerce of Beijing, said the night economy should not be only focused on food. New areas such as sports, education, fashion and bookstores should be more developed to raise the quality of the night economy.

"The future of the nighttime economy is promising, but the range of businesses should be widened with more innovation."