Developing a new lease of life

Since its official opening on June 18, 2021, Shanqianfang has had more than 50 tenants, among which are restaurants, immersive game centers, jewelry design studios and boutique hotels.

In May, Shanqianfang hosted its first art week, featuring movie projections, theater shows, photo and art exhibitions, as well as live concerts.

Altogether, the local administration has invested 15 million yuan ($2.1 million) on optimizing public services, such as improving the electricity supply and road maintenance. Each tenant paid for the refurbishment of their shop.

One of the most popular diners in Shanqianfang is Lobster King, a restaurant known for its tasty crayfish dishes, which are nicknamed "baby lobsters" in Chinese. The manager of the eatery, Pan Yanhong, says she spent 1.6 million yuan on the decoration of the 400-square-meter restaurant, and it proved a worthy investment.

"I've had my crayfish restaurant in the city for more than 20 years, and we decided to move over here two years ago," Pan tells China Daily.

"Business has picked up since we came. The location is good, with convenient transportation, easy parking and the beautiful mountain view nearby."

Shanqianfang has gained some prominence on social media, she says. This part of the city used to be quiet, but now, "people will come for a walk, take pictures and when they share them on Xiaohongshu (the Chinese equivalent of Instagram), more people are encouraged to visit", she says.

"When the weather is good, our busy hours will start at sunset. …With beers and a nice breeze, we can easily stay busy after midnight."

Diners in the restaurant are not just locals, but also those from neighboring cities, such as Suzhou and Wuxi, which are both about an hour away by car, and sometimes Shanghai, which is two hours away, she adds.

Using only top-quality crayfish harvested on the same day, Pan says she is always confident to welcome diners to the kitchen, where they can pick the live crayfish themselves.

Early summer is the time for crayfish, followed by the crab season at the restaurant, which will go on until winter starts, and then comes the best season for mutton, which will "warm you up from the inside", she says.

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn