Shanghai residents are now being pampered with a wide range of options on how they can spend their evenings as the city's move to bolster the nighttime economy
After being affected by pandemic control measures for the past three years, Shanghai's nighttime economy looks to be finally on the rebound as businesses have been busy unveiling new offerings catered to the evening crowd.
The nighttime economy refers to business activities that take place between 6 pm and 6 am in the service sector. The municipal government is aiming to make the nighttime economy a key driver for consumption growth and economic development.
Last September, the Shanghai municipal government released guidelines to boost the nighttime economy as part of efforts to speed up economic recovery. The guidelines, which are effective from 2022 to 2025, aim to create a "24-hour city of vibrancy" that has signature nightlife neighborhoods and clusters, night markets and night leisure spaces on waterfronts.
To achieve its goals, the government has encouraged cultural and entertainment businesses to extend their operating hours and, more importantly, explore new business models to attract more customers.
One of the first establishments to adjust its operating hours to cater to the nighttime crowds is Shanghai Museum. On February 11, the museum extended its opening hours from 5 pm to 9 pm every Wednesday and Saturday. Starting from April 18, the museum has been holding night exhibitions every day that it is open.
In addition, the museum will close at 11 pm during the May Day holidays.
"When I learned that the Shanghai Museum was going to be open at night, I wanted to make an appointment immediately," said visitor Chen Xi.
"As it turned out, I wasn't the only person trying to do so. I could only make a booking after trying for two days."
One of the main reasons the Shanghai Museum wanted to introduce night sessions is the strong demand for certain exhibitions like the Botticelli to Van Gogh Masterpieces from the National Gallery showcase, which kicked off on Jan 17. This exhibition features 52 paintings from 50 renowned European artists, including Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Paul Cezanne and Monet Claude.
The exhibition welcomed more than 300,000 visitors as of April 18, according to Li Feng, the deputy curator of the Shanghai Museum.
Another reason why the museum decided to extend its opening hours was to support the local government's campaign to bolster the nighttime economy, Li added.
Big crowds
Li believes the opening of night exhibitions has made a positive impact to the nighttime economy as statistics show that almost half of the visitors come from outside the city. This influx of visitors from other cities has also boosted the business of hotels and restaurants located near the museum.
Li pointed out that museum's other venue in Pudong, which is scheduled to open by the end of this year, would also consider having a night session.
"If we can operate the museum from 10 am to 10 pm, which is consistent with the shopping malls in the city, more office workers will be able to visit art venues after they are done with work," Li said. "Such a move is a good thing for the city."
Other museums have also followed suit. The Shanghai Pudong Art Museum, for example, extended its business hours to 9 pm since last year.
Yang Bokai, the founder of the BFC Weekend Market, said he has witnessed growing nighttime crowds in recent months. Launched in June 2020, the market is part of the city's nightlife festival. This year's nightlife festival will be held from June 3 to 30.
"Although the market is open from 10 am to 10 pm, the nighttime turnover accounts for much more than 50 percent," said Yang.
"During weekends, holidays and large events, the market won't close until 11 pm. The visitor numbers during these periods range between 80,000 and 100,000, and may even exceed 120,000 on special occasions."
Starting in June, popular music labels will be invited to perform until 10 pm every evening.
In the early stages, night markets were solely focused on selling street food and small wares, but they have since evolved into much more comprehensive affairs that require more creative and professional services.
"The commercial real estate sector in Shanghai is embracing the night economy now. Efforts are constantly being made to provide more leisure and entertainment options so that people are inclined to hang around till late," Yang said.
A love for night jaunts
Outdoor night markets have always been popular among Shanghai residents.
Shanghai has more than 3.38 million people who have a habit of going out at night, according to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce. An index released by the commission last September also ranked Shanghai as the top city in terms of the nighttime economy in China. It was followed by Shenzhen, Beijing and Chengdu.
On March 30, the Sijing night market in Shanghai's Songjiang district was reopened to the public following its closure in January due to poor management and sanitary conditions. According to local officials, people have been flocking to the market, with as many as 90,000 visiting the venue in a single night.
Officials also shared with the media that the number of vendors at the market is set to grow.
"We are determined to make the nighttime economy a new highlight of the city. We will continue exploring options to bolster this sector," said an unnamed official in a news report by local media The Paper.
LARP (live action role playing) venues have also been eager to tap the growing nighttime crowds to boost revenue. Huang Zhengzhong, who runs the DC Taotaowu escape rooms in Shanghai, said he is hoping to expand to 24-hour commercial spaces to prolong his operation hours and capitalize on the growing crowds.
"There are no restrictions on business hours and customers are allowed to enter and exit at will in the shopping malls. Some customers will stay till 4 am," Huang explained.
As of July 2022, Shanghai had more than 1,000 LARP venues, surpassing Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, according to market consultancy iiMedia.
"Our stores have the most customers from 3 pm to midnight. The turnover during this period accounts for 60 to 70 percent of the total turnover," Huang added.
"If we are located in commercial spaces that can operate around the clock, we could generate more income at night."
Gao Yi, the owner of Meow Game, said many LARP venues have been extending their operating hours to accommodate more late-night customers.
"Some dungeon masters are more willing to work at night because they can earn more," he noted.
Organizers of talk shows have done the same. Previously, most talk shows had just one session per night that started at 7:30 pm. Now, many places have a second session at 9:30 pm.
Participating in sporting activities at night has also become a trend among young people. Activities like frisbee, football, cycling, and running are particularly popular from 8 pm to 10 pm.
The Shanghai Youth Nightlife Trend Report released by social platform Xiaohongshu showed that the search volume for night-time frisbee by Shanghai users increased by about 16 times last July compared to October 2021. The number of searches related to night cycling also increased by 388 percent.
