Photo Essay: Two Chinese Cities Face Life After Foodie Frenzy

On a recent winter evening, stools sit empty next to row upon row of vacant tables outside a once bustling restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Tianshui.

If it wasn’t for a lonely sign lit up with the restaurant’s name — Baijia Malatang — one might not know the place was even open.

Last year, it was different. In early 2024, tourists from around the country formed long lines outside the city’s restaurants to get a taste of the local “malatang,” said He Lei, a local familiar with the city’s restaurant scene. The Chinese dish is a one-person hotpot — spicy broth that diners fill with their choice of meat, vegetables, handmade noodles, or whatever else they want to throw in there.