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"Furnace city" emerges as "coolcation" magnet for global travelers_我的网站

一 |     Sophie 编译 今天下午，总理Christopher Luxon在奥克兰南部一个新的农业机械仓库的开业仪式上发表了讲话，他回顾了联合政府执政的头100天，并谈到了政府未来的方向。    

    Foreign tourists enjoy hotpot while watching a Sichuan Opera face-changing performance inside a former air-raid shelter at the Underground City hotpot restaurant in Liangjiang New Area of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)Despite outdoor temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Australian tourist Roy Rostand was enjoying hotpot at a restaurant without air conditioning, apparently feeling no discomfort from the summer heat.
The answer to his comfort lies in the restaurant's unlikely location. This hotpot restaurant, named Underground City, is hidden inside a former air-raid shelter, one of the city's distinctive spaces offering natural coolness.
"It's amazing that the restaurant stays so cool even in scorching summer heat," Rostand said. "Chongqing has given me the chance to experience something I can't find in Australia."
Chongqing has long been dubbed one of China's "furnace cities" for its sweltering, humid summers. In July alone, the city endured 26 consecutive days of high heat, with temperatures breaching 40 degrees Celsius for a full week and topping out at a scorching 41.6 degrees.
The blazing heat, however, has failed to dampen the enthusiasm of global travelers. According to the Chongqing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, more than 610,000 inbound and outbound trips by foreign nationals were recorded at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in the first half of the year, marking an 86-percent surge year on year. The top five source countries were Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
European travelers proved to be a standout growth driver. Data from Trip.com shows that as of July 21, inbound travel bookings from Europe to Chongqing for this summer season climbed by over 40 percent year on year, while scenic spot ticket orders surged by 214.7 percent and activity-based bookings rocketed by a staggering 6,900 percent.
Thanks to China's visa-free policies and other travel facilitation measures, Chongqing is rapidly gaining traction as a go-to "coolcation" hotspot for international visitors. Creative cool-off spaces, diverse travel experiences and comprehensive summer services have all contributed to its rising appeal.
UNDERGROUND COOL
Chongqing's summer cooling secrets were first found underground. Since the late 1930s, the city has carved thousands of air-raid shelters into its mountainous terrain.
Once serving as sanctuaries for civilians during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, these spaces have now been repurposed as hotpot restaurants, tea houses and venues for Sichuan Opera performances, providing both refreshing coolness and preserving the city's living memories.
"The temperature inside the shelters remains around 25 degrees Celsius all year round, making them natural cool retreats," explained Wang Jing, marketing director of Underground City.
"We serve more than 300 tables a day on weekends," she added. "Right now, about one in every six diners is from overseas. And we're seeing more and more visitors from Southeast Asia and Europe."
Annika, a tourist from Germany, revealed that the restaurant has gone viral on overseas social media platforms. "We were attracted not only by this unique way of escaping the summer heat, but also by the opportunity to dine in a place filled with history and culture," she said.
CHASING CHILL
On August 1, Chongqing issued an orange heat alert. At a water park in its Fuling District, 10 tonnes of industrial ice were dumped directly into the wave pool. Half-submerged in the refreshing water, visitors could splash around or even play mahjong at custom-made tables in the pool.
This unique summer cooling scene has attracted coverage from mainstream media in countries including Russia and Canada, with overseas outlets reportedly dubbing it the most intriguing summer spectacle in China this year.
At Chongqing Xingrui international travel service, inquiries from cross-border travelers hailing from hot and humid regions such as Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia have risen notably in recent weeks.
Peng Hengcong, head of the travel agency, said they have rolled out themed tour products, including "cool retreats in the mountains" and "gorge rapids adventures," tailored to overseas visitors seeking summer cooling experiences. These products cover areas with higher altitudes or rich water systems in Chongqing, with the highlight being a "23°C summer" experience.
Luo Zibai, an expert with the China Tourism Academy, believes that Chongqing's sustained popularity among travelers lies in its ability to fully leverage its distinctive strengths and develop differentiated tourism products that offer a broad spectrum of experiences.
URBAN REFUGE
Chongqing is weaving a citywide "cooling network" -- ranging from shopping malls to public facilities, and from indoor spaces to outdoor areas.
At a shopping mall called The Ring in the city, visitors are greeted not by endless rows of shops, but by a lush indoor rainforest. With misting systems and carefully designed lighting, the mall keeps the temperature at about 21 degrees Celsius, creating a cool, dreamy summer escape.
"I like Chongqing a lot because it has its own character," said Bilal Badri, who was visiting from the Netherlands. "The way nature and the city's landscape blend together here is just perfect."
The cool experience extends beyond the mall. In the Mountain City Alley historic district, a 400-meter-long pedestrian walkway has been transformed into a "cooling corridor," where misting systems and shaded areas reduce the perceived temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius.
In addition, since July 8, Chongqing's rail transit system has set up cooling zones in 158 metro stations, offering free air-conditioned spaces and heat-relief supplies to residents and tourists alike.
"Chongqing's creative and thoughtful ways to help people beat the summer heat are impressive. It's really interesting to discover these unique experiences," said Alexandra, a Romanian tourist. "This time I didn't stay long enough to explore more of the city, and I'm planning to come back in the near future."
。         Luxon还谈到了这周的政治动荡：今天新西兰被宣布再次陷入经济衰退，他的副总理Winston Peters对共同治理的说法令舆论哗然，以及上周末Peters在活动中使用的歌曲引发了争议。         Advertise with us                    关于经济衰退          总理将新西兰经济衰退的责任归咎于上届工党政府，称他们应该在一代人的时间里都不掌权。         新西兰统计局今天上午宣布，新西兰已进入衰退，与9月季度相比，2023年12月季度的国内生产总值（GDP）下降了0.1%。         经济学家传统上将衰退定义为经济连续两个季度收缩。         尽管移民水平和人口增长创历史新高，但经济还是出现了萎缩。新西兰统计局今天表示，去年最后三个月的人均GDP下降了0.7%。         实际国民可支配总收入下降1.4%。         在对商界人士的演讲中，Luxon将今天的GDP结果归咎于前工党政府。         “可悲的是，上届政府借了更多债。我们必须正视这一点。我们什么成果也没得到。

二 | 我们有一项重大的财政修复工作要做。”          对于公众再次投票选举工党进入政府的前景，Luxon表示，“你们在一代人的时间里都不应该这样做。”          而此前，前总理、现任工党党魁Chris Hipkins在Newstalk ZB的节目上驳斥了他应该为经济衰退负责的说法：“不，现任政府应该为此负责，他们现在掌权了。”                    关于政府的工作          Luxon说，国家党领导的政府的预算将平衡“多项事务”，并表示将通过多种预算建立财政纪律文化。         总理还谈到了今天宣布的公共服务部门的裁员，初级产业部（MPI）和卫生部将削减数百个职位。Luxon说，许多被裁减的职位已经空缺，并转而谈到工党执政期间公共服务部门聘用的员工数量的增加。         行动党党魁David Seymour曾表示，裁员是“好事”，但总理不愿透露他是否同意这样的说法。         Luxon表示，中央和地方政府需要在未来十年共同努力，以便使规划能够超越政治周期。         奥克兰市长Wayne Brown经常评论说，惠灵顿（指政府）需要让奥克兰做出自己的决定。Luxon说，他对与Brown一起推进奥克兰基础设施发展感到有信心。         总理接着说，上届政府一直在“与农民交战”。         “我想对你们说的是，你们不是坏人。我们想大力支持农民。

三 | 对我们来说，没有什么比这更重要的了。”          相关阅读：          最新！GDP继续下降！新西兰经济陷入衰退          为完成节支目标，政府这一部门将裁员384人          注：本文为编译/原创，欢迎转发分享；但严禁复制等未经授权的非法使用。违反上述声明者，本网将追究其相关法律责任。

四 | 使用授权请联系[email protected]。

五 |          chineseherald.co.nz All Rights Reserved 版权所有          (责编：Sophie)          相关内容                前政府全面降低限速的措施将被撤销，某些路段除外           为完成节支目标，政府这一部门将裁员384人           6名青少年开着偷来的车撞向多辆汽车，已被奥克兰警方拘捕           一次性电子烟被封杀，卖烟给未成年将被重重重罚           海港无名女尸案取得进展，警方收到近百个线索电话           华人男子涉嫌谋杀奥克兰Ellerslie夫妇，曾密谋再杀一人           新西兰把澳大利亚当做世界上“最好的朋友”，澳大利亚呢？           奥克兰海域女尸案：死者身份仍不明，警方寻求公众协助。

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Published on:10:42:17