Liu, the e-commerce platform founder, said Sun's unbridled enthusiasm for the area has boosted public confidence in Huimin Street's future.

Tourism revival

Tourism in the street, which is located near the Bell and Drum towers in downtown Lianhu district, has gradually returned to normal levels since the pandemic emerged, with outlets reopening on March 17.

Wang Fei, director of Lianhu district bureau of culture and tourism, said, "As efforts continued at the time to help slow the spread of COVID-19 nationwide, we believed the street should get back to normal to help the tourism industry gradually recover."

In the first few weeks, few visitors or restaurant employees were seen on the street, despite businesses being disinfected three times a day and widespread temperature checks in the area.

Ma Jianfeng, manager of Jiasan Steamed Buns Restaurant on Huimin Street, said only the first floor of the five-story eatery was initially opened to customers as trade in the area began to recover.

"We also removed half the tables to limit capacity for diners," he said, adding that the number of tourists visiting the street rose significantly during the five-day May Day holiday.

Shi Weicheng, an 82-year-old native of Xi'an, said he was drawn to Huimin Street in the early 1990s by the range of food on offer.