As the urban area of Jining, Rencheng district boasts a rich canal culture, which has been key to its efforts to develop a strong night economy along the branch of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

For many Jining residents, strolling along the bank of the canal is a popular choice for relaxing. According to Zhu Yanyan, who recently moved to Jining, the city's night economy is filled with such intangible cultural heritage items as dough modeling and paper-cutting, as well as a great variety of tasty local snacks.

Spanning 75 meters long, Xianyingbeili serves as the first street that sells night snacks in Jining and enjoys a blend of styles. It was created by a group of young people and has received help from the Jining government in such aspects as design, marketing, as well as product promotion.

Eye-catching graffiti saying "I love Jining" decorates Xianyingbeili. [Photo/Jining News]

In Rencheng district, there is also a street that sells creative cultural products. Covering an area of about 2,000 square meters, the street is home to 14 boutique shops and attracts about 1,500 visitors per day.

In the shops, Jining elements, such as bamboo hats and flagstones, can be seen everywhere. Visitors can also buy models of Jining's iconic buildings, including Taibai Tower, as well as the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius.

As the night economy in Jining grows stronger, young business enterpreneurs have become more confident, which has bolstered the calling card of Jining as a cultural city.