People enjoy food at a car boot sale bazaar along the bank of the Pearl River in Liwan District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, July 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jun)
GUANGZHOU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- When the night falls, the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou embraces a new round of hustle and bustle. Hundreds of people and cars decorated with colorful lights and eye-catching shop signs swarm a local car boot sale bazaar.
At the bazaar along the bank of the Pearl River in Liwan District, car owners hang up signboards, light up colorful light belts, and place tables and chairs to welcome customers.
Liang Jinsheng, a local youth, sells lemon tea at the bazaar, which was opened to the public on July 15. The almost one-square-meter car trunk is his space for tea making.
"I used to work in the catering industry. I saw on the Internet many people doing business at car boot sale bazaars. So I decided to have a try here as the way of doing business which is low-cost and low-risk," Liang said.
"Although my 'shop' is small, I have obtained necessary business licenses and will stick with hygienic standards to ensure food safety," Liang added.
While making the lemon tea, Liang also live streams on a short video platform to drive traffic.
"A lot of residents have come to my tea booth after watching my live stream. It is a new business model, which can help my store gain fame. The sales are about 1,000 yuan (about 148 U.S. dollars) at the bazaar every night," he said.
"Cool summer breeze, night river view... The atmosphere here is different from dining in stores."
Like Liang, many people are joining the car boot sale trend.
Li Zihao, a junior at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, started his homemade cocktail business at the bazaar with his friends after getting relevant business licenses.
He also set up a simple stage beside his stall, where customers can sing freely and relax.
"This will not only enrich my summer life and enable me to make more friends but also pave the way for my future entrepreneurship," Li said.
The bazaar is the epitome of the booming night economy in Guangzhou. The city has recently introduced a slew of measures to support the development of the night economy, trying to tap citizens' consumption potential at night.
Under necessary epidemic prevention measures, Guangzhou will support these new types of business activities, said the city's commerce department, noting that many commercial plazas have offered space for car boot sales and introduced night-themed activities to stimulate consumption. ■
