With 'smoke, fire and steam', night markets erupt into life

Tasting success

Today, the market is a popular landmark, covering 10,000 square meters and with over 600 stalls.

It attracts 10,000 to 30,000 visitors nightly, and generated an estimated 400 million yuan ($55.8 million) in annual revenue last year. It has created 2,500 jobs, particularly for those without higher education, said Liu.

At its heart, are entrepreneurs like 39-year-old Lu Yang whose journey is an example of the market's ability to change people's lives.

Arriving in 2019, after his parents' street vending business failed in nearby Shijiazhuang, Lu tried a number of food ventures before spotting a gap in the night market — hearty, savory staples for northern palates.

He then traveled to Wuhan, Hubei province, to master how to make reganmian, or hot dry noodles. "People in northern China crave saltiness, rather than sweetness," Lu said.

After two years of trial and error, he abandoned sugar and bean sprouts, and chose nine toppings favored by customers in Zhengding, including pickled beans, peanuts, chili oil, and scallions. "It was a painful process," Lu said. "Every failed attempt meant wasted ingredients."

But his persistence paid off.

A breakthrough came courtesy of his smartphone. He started filming his steaming kitchen, along with snaking lines and satisfied customers, and posted clips on social media platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, or RedNote.

His number of followers soared to 100,000, landing his stall on local "must-eat" lists. His sales of reganmian exploded to 700 to 800 bowls midweek and over 1,000 on weekends.

Lu now employs seven workers and rents four adjacent stalls just to keep up with demand. "During the peak last April, I survived on three hours' sleep for 20 days," he recalled, wiping sweat from his brow as it neared midnight, his shirt dusted with flour.

He proudly said that while nearly 20 stalls sold hot dry noodles during last year's peak, now only a few "winners" like him are left.

A social media post went viral in April 2024, attracting over 100,000 daily visitors at one point. The number of visitors reached 3 million last year, according to Liu, from the market management group.

"It's impressively large and lively, with affordable food from across China, though I'd like to see more distinctive Zhengding snacks among the offerings," said Zhang Long, a Beijing resident who traveled to the county after seeing stories about it online.

He visited the market with several friends. "When we went in, we were all very hungry. When we came out, we felt like we were about to burst. There was so much delicious food. We couldn't even eat it all," Zhang said.

Wang Li, 42, a local middle school Chinese teacher and mother of two, said her family's weekly ritual is to cycle 3 kilometers to the night market to eat.

"It has become a must-go recreational place for us locals," she said. "Seeing our county's humble market trend nationally feels incredible. It proves just how expansive and delicious our offerings are," she said proudly.