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People tour the Moon River Historical Block at night. [Photo/cnjxol.com]

The nighttime economy of Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, has experienced increased development in recent years, local media reported on Feb 15.

The nighttime economy is not only a significant indicator of a city's economic vigor, but also helps stimulate domestic demand and creates a thriving market and more jobs.

The Moon River Historical Block in Nanhu district has become a popular scenic spot on social media for its glorious lighting at night. To bring an immersive experience to tourists, the scenic spot finished the installment of lighting facilities in 2019.

Ancient Wuzhen town has also been engaged in the nighttime economy for many years. In 1999, Wuzhen proposed the construction of a "town without darkness", or a "sleepless town".

Ancient Xitang town at night. [Photo/cnjxol.com]

Environmentally friendly and energy-efficient Lighting equipment has been installed on buildings, ancient trees, bridges, and stone steps, as well as along rivers in the ancient town.

Various nighttime activities, including a tour of Wuzhen by boat, Huaguxi Opera (flower-drum opera) performances, and water lantern shows, are available in Wuzhen.

According to an employee at the Wuzhen scenic area, due to such nighttime activities, the occupancy rate of homestays and hotels in the scenic area reached 70 percent in 2021.

Xitang, another ancient town in Jiaxing, has also developed a nighttime economy by improving traffic and organizing large-scale nighttime activities. In 2021, Xitang scenic area received more than 7.46 million tourists and generated 1.83 billion yuan ($289 million) in tourism revenue.