Business booming in former bomb shelters

More than 200 World War II era civil defense facilities now serve as shops, restaurants and more in Chongqing

When Chongqing Hotpot, a Chinese comedy film released in 2016, became a blockbuster, it drew attention to a less noticed part of the cosmopolitan city – a former bomb shelter used as the film's primary filming location. It was just one of many sites originally built as shelters from air raids like the Bombardment of Chongqing, which was carried out by Japanese forces from February 1938 to August 1943 during World War II. Today, the facilities serve as shelters of a different sort – not for people, but for businesses.

In the film, the hotpot restaurant is located in one such shelter. That might seem surreal but there are shelters in the city being used in that exact capacity today. According to the Chongqing Civil Air Defense Office, more than 200 shelters have been rented out for other uses, including as gas stations, restaurants, wine cellars, museums and book stores.

Wang Chengjie, who works in the office's regulations, publicity and education division, said that most shelters are in the city center, an ideal location for the businesses now housed in them.

Hotpot hot spot

Dongting Hotpot, a popular Chongqing restaurant, has been operating for 32 years out of a bomb shelter on Zhongshansan Road in Yuzhong district.

The H-shaped shelter, with tunnels about 2 meters high and 3 meters wide, is about 185 square meters in size according to 42-year-old Deng Hong, the restaurant's owner.

He said that although he has two other branches nearby, many customers still line up for hours during peak season to dine at the original.

Red characters reading "Dongting Hotpot, since 1989" hang above the entrance. Beside them, is a mural depicting the Japanese bombardment. Last year, Deng invited a professor from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to paint the mural to show how the city's food and history are linked.

Inside, the walls are clad with striped stones. It feels like a big snug, with 22 tables accommodating over 200 customers. A ventilation system, air conditioners and dehumidifiers help keep conditions inside comfortable.

Deng took over the business many years ago from his aunt Deng Xiaoning, who first rented the shelter and transformed it into a restaurant in 1986. The rent was relatively low and the structure had previously been used to store pickles after the war. His aunt created the Dongting brand in 1989.