Late-night diners wait outside restaurants in Beijing's Dongcheng district during summer. [Photo by ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY]

2. Nighttime economy

The nighttime economy was mentioned in a State Council guideline on domestic consumption in August. It refers to business activities between 6 pm and 6 am in the services sector.

These include opening 24-hour convenience stores, extending the service hours of buses, encouraging cinemas and theaters to offer preferential tickets, and advocating for brick-and-mortar bookstores, cultural centers, museums and art galleries to open to the public at night.

Many Chinese cities, especially metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai, have rolled out plans to support nighttime markets, setting up special zones and extending the operation of public transport.