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

风和日丽

一 | 补办遗失的驾驶证，原先必不可少的窗口跑腿，如今被短短几分钟的视频连线替代。

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."
。近日，廊坊市民陆瑶不慎丢失机动车驾驶证。8月21日一大早，她了解到廊坊新推出“视频车管所”服务，就通过“廊坊车管”微信公众号提交补证申请，上传身份证与驾驶证相关信息。经视频连线完成人像比对、信息核验及缴费，全程不足两分钟。业务办结后新驾驶证将邮寄到家，办理记录可随时查询。这样的变化，不仅仅发生在补换证这类高频民生业务上。

二 | 针对“交管12123”App功能尚未囊括、必须本人到窗口办理的业务，“视频车管所”也精准补齐服务短板，破解群众异地办事、紧急办事难题。同日，身在外地的廊坊市民王艳云给廊坊市车管所打来求助电话，想撤销之前提交的机动车转籍至外地的申请。

三 | 廊坊市车管所工作人员当即引导她通过“视频车管所”实时连线并顺利办结，及时解了她的燃眉之急。今年6月，廊坊市公安局交管支队创新推出“视频车管所”服务，以实时视频交互打通身份核验、意愿确认等环节，将28项高频车驾管业务搬至云端，推动“最多跑一次”升级为“一次都不跑”。目前，单次视频核验控制在5分钟以内，业务全程办结仅需5至10分钟，证件、号牌2至3个工作日即可邮寄到家。上线两个多月来，已办理业务280余件。

四 | 看似简单的视频连线背后，是对车驾管线上服务瓶颈的突破。廊坊市车管所所长杜海介绍，部分业务因法定要求“本人真实意愿确认”，必须到窗口现场签字核验，是“交管12123”App等软件无法提供线上服务的原因。“这是身份和意愿能否线上核验的问题，还要符合法定规范，经得起追溯。”杜海说。为解决这一难题，廊坊市车管所组建研发团队，历时四个多月，打通材料上传、人脸核验、视频审核、在线缴费、结果反馈的信息传输通道，构建全流程线上闭环，依托“廊坊车管”微信公众号搭建起标准化云端服务窗口。“我们将持续梳理群众高频需求，力争推出更多车驾管业务网上办理。同时主动对接京津冀政务服务协同机制，探索跨区域业务视频联办模式，让政务服务更高效精准、更有温度。