Following the barbecue-driven travel craze to the city of Zibo in East China and the ice-snow tourism frenzy (旅游狂潮) in Harbin in the northeast, Chinese social media has once again showed its influence in highlighting (突出) the next internet-famous city worth exploring.
This time it's Tianshui, a low-key city in Northwest China's Gansu province that has become the focus. It has attracted a lot of attention on the Internet after being enthusiastically recommended by food lovers and social media influencers, celebrating the city's iconic dish of hot pot and its rich cultural attractions, including the Maijishan Grottoes (麦积山石窟).
Known as Tianshui Malatang (麻辣烫), which means spicy and hot, the local dish is popular for its large piece of skewered (串在签子上的) meat, vegetables, and hand-made potato noodles in a pot of boiling soup, and served with a spoon of special chili oil.
As of March 13, "Tianshui Malatang" has become the most widely searched topic across China's major social media platforms, and related short videos have received over 1 billion views. Searches for "Tianshui Malatang" on the Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu have resulted in over 30,000 related notes.
To keep the tourist flow, the city also makes efforts to ensure food safety and price control. To make things easier for tourists, the locals have developed various travel routes suitable for their different interests, whether it's discovering local flavors (当地特色) or exploring cultural sites. Meanwhile, many locals have volunteered to offer free rides, picking up tourists from the stations.