A melting pot of fiery flavors

In 1937, Chongqing was the country's political center. At the time, the city witnessed a sudden influx of government officials, bankers, businessmen, scholars, diplomats, writers and other professionals from other parts of the country. Many eventually left the city, but carried their newfound love for hotpot with them, helping fuel its nationwide popularity.

Today, Chongqing hosts more hotpot restaurants than any other Chinese city. In 2007, the China Cuisine Association officially named it "China's Hotpot City", a title it still holds with pride.

According to the Chongqing Hotpot Association, by the end of 2024, the city had approximately 18,900 hotpot-related enterprises and 39,600 hotpot restaurants. The hotpot industry generated a total revenue of 82.43 billion yuan ($11.66 billion), accounting for 32.7 percent of the city's total dining income, while the upstream-downstream industrial chain surpassed 300 billion yuan in value.

Chongqing Zhoujunji Hot-pot Food Co, the company behind the industrial park, has blended industry with tourism, creating a model of industrial tourism since 2007.

"We launched industrial tourism not only to address food safety concerns, but to enhance brand value, and generate new revenue opportunities across diverse market segments," says Wang Yujin, vice manager of Chongqing Zhoujunji Hot-pot Food Co.

"We are expanding our educational initiatives in the park, hosting extracurricular activities and parent-child projects for students, and earning recognition as a science education and study-tour base in Chongqing," says Wang.

She adds that the company collaborates with travel agencies and educational institutions to enhance cultural and industrial experiences. Plans are underway to partner with the nearby Huayan Gecko King National Climbing Demonstration Park to further enrich the tourist experience.

"The industrial park provides a replicable model for the high-quality development of Chongqing hotpot and the national food industrial tourism sector. It pioneers a new integrated approach of industry, tourism, and culture," says Zhang Xueying, director of the Jiulongpo district culture and tourism committee.

Zhang adds that the development of Zhoujunji's industrial tourism project has further invigorated the cultural and tourism economy of the surrounding areas. It deeply integrates the hotpot IP with the city's cultural and tourism image, creating a distinctive, high-quality tourism route.

China's industrial tourism began tentatively in the early 21st century, gaining momentum as manufacturing modernized and cultural travel diversified. Factories — especially in food sectors — are increasingly opening their production lines to the public, offering interactive workshops, flavor experiences and behind-the-scenes transparency.

Though industrial tourism still represents a small slice of China's tourism revenue, it holds significant growth potential. An industrial report issued recently predicts that the market will exceed 45 billion yuan in 2025 and is expected to surpass 100 billion yuan by 2030.

Contact the writers at dengrui@chinadaily.com.cn