Beer festival fuels consumerism in historical areas

The consumption sector in the western historical area of Qingdao's Shinan district is riding the wave of the ongoing Shangjieli Beer Festival and has witnessed a significant recovery, local media outlets reported.

Under the strict epidemic prevention and control measures, the beer festival has received about 200,000 visitors. Supermarkets and shopping malls in the area have seen around a 30 percent growth in turnover, while that of catering businesses have doubled or more.

"We sell more than 1,000 cups of milk tea per day. The store is swamped with customers and the employees are too busy to attend everyone," said the operator of a Mixue Bingcheng (a Chinese chain of fresh ice cream and tea stores) outlet on Zhongshan Road.

Red House Musician, a piano-themed hotel converted from a "red house" that was built on Guangxi Road in 1905, has also seen a surge in customers and revenue over the past few days.

"Diners at our Western food restaurant increased by more than 30 percent. The amount of each order also surged," said Xu Zhengxiong, the hotel's manager.