A chef serves bowls of malatang at a streetside restaurant in Tianshui, Gansu province, March 14. Photo: VCG

Tourists and bloggers take photos and video of all the action just outside a popular malatang store on the evening of March 17 in Tianshui, Gansu province. Photo: VCG

Customers hold up their selected ingredients that will then be cooked in the spicy malatang broth. Photo: VCG

The finished serving is tipped into a takeaway food container. Photo: VCG

A server hands over a dish to a customer in a malatang store in Tianshui, Gansu Province, March 15. Photo: VCG

Diners enjoy bowls of malatang with noodles and share a communal dish cooked in the broth. Photo: VCG

Seats at outdoor tables are packed with people lining up to enjoy the spicy specialty. Photo: VCG

The malatang-themed food festival in Tianshui, Gansu province drew massive crowds on March 16. Photo: VCG

Tourists visit the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, Gansu province, on Feb 13. Photo: VCG

The Tianshui city government provides free sightseeing buses for tourists on March 21. Photo: VCG