WITH 'SMOKE, FIRE AND STEAM', NIGHT MARKETS ERUPT INTO LIFE

Vibrant lantern-lit venues rekindle interest in centuries-old traditions

As dusk falls over the ancient county of Zhengding in Hebei province, a remarkable transformation begins — a vast parking lot near the train station empties, making way for hundreds of brightly lit food carts.

Within hours, the Zhengding Small Commodities Night Market erupts into life — a symphony of sizzling pans, shouting vendors, and the chatter of thousands of eager visitors.

This nightly scene pulses with yanhuoqi — literally "smoke, fire and steam" — providing a lively, lantern-lit atmosphere fundamental to Chinese night markets.