The release of the “10 new measures” to optimize COVID-19 response has helped to unleash vitality of Changsha, with many tourists coming to Changsha and a number of citizens traveling to other places. The long-lost lively life of the streets and lanes return.

Nighttime economy recoveries

As night falls, many stalls appear in Yangfan Night Fair near Wanjiali Square in Furong District. Changsha has quickly regained its popularity since the “10 new measures” were issued. 

Now, tourists no longer need to scan the venue code or show the health code when entering Yangfan Night Fair. But they will be reminded to wear masks.

In the evening, Yangfan Night Fair gradually became crowded. Most citizens wore masks. “Although the epidemic prevention policy has been optimized, we still need to wear masks to protect ourselves,” said a citizen.

Meanwhile, Wuyi Square Business District has also seen a recovery in its nighttime economy. At Huangxing Square, many young people were waiting for the words “I love Changsha” to appear on the outdoor three-dimensional electronic screen to take photos. Pedestrians ate stinky tofu and roast sausages or drank milk tea while watching interesting street performances.

In the “Great Changsha Food City”, neon signs were flashing and people were flocking to it. “The employees in the shop used to be on duty by turns. With the introduction of the ‘10 new measures’, all employees have returned to their posts. Everyone is full of energy and confidence in the future,” said the owner of a barbecue shop.

Queue reappears in front of Internet-famous restaurants

Many Internet-famous restaurants have sprung up in Changsha. As the city witnesses a recovery in the lively life at night, a queue reappears in front of some Internet-famous restaurants.

At Yangfan Night Fair, there are long lines in front of two milk tea shops not far from each other. Previously, consumers mainly placed orders online. After the release of the “10 new measures”, many people come to the shops to purchase a cup of milk tea. It is believed that their business will get better in the near future.

At 7:00 p.m., there were still consumers sitting on small stools at the entrance of restaurants at Pofu International Square of Kaifu District in Changsha and waiting for waiters to call their numbers. “At present, more consumers choose to come to the store to have a meal. We have also launched corresponding preferential packages on Meituan and Douyin, which we believe will attract more and more consumers to our store,” the staff said.

The rapid recovery of the catering industry has also boosted the popularity of shopping malls. In order to draw customers, clothing and catering stores in many shopping malls in Changsha are actively organizing promotional activities for the upcoming New Year’s Day holiday.

For example, customers can get a discount of 120 yuan for every 1,000 yuan of cosmetics, 50 yuan for every gram of gold, and 50% for autumn and winter clothes in Wangfujing Department Store. Members of OUTLETS can get twice the points and take part in the lucky draw when shopping.

More people willing to travel

After the release of the “10 new measures”, a citizen surnamed Zhou in Changsha has been planning travel routes and purchasing tickets. He said that at present, tickets for popular tourist routes are in short supply, which makes him who hasn’t traveled outside the province for a long time feel a little surprised.

According to several travel platforms, the search volume of air tickets and train tickets of Changsha Airport and high-speed railway stations has increased significantly. In order to meet the travel demand of passengers, transportation hubs such as airports and high-speed railway stations have optimized the transport capacity.

Changsha has become the preferred destination for many tourists. Over the past weekend, the number of visitors to the Orange Isle Scenic Area reached 12,500, growing over six times from that of a week ago. Changsha Ecological Zoo has received over 2,400 people, rocketing 21times from the previous week. The maximum number of tourists in Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area exceeded 20,000 a day, an elevenfold increase month on month.

The data show that the search volume of hotels in Changsha has rose greatly. The number of air ticket reservations to Changsha has grown by 40% compared with a week ago. The search volume of train tickets to Changsha has soared six times. Changsha has also ranked among the top five hot destinations in China.