Looking back at Linyi's consumption figures for this year's National Day holiday, "a single chicken" is probably the best entry point.

Yang Jinming, head chef at the flagship store of Benji Xiaopao, spent the holiday as if fighting a battle. "During the National Day holiday, we could stir-fry five to six hundred chickens every day, and during Li Ronghao's two concert days, we could stir-fry over 800 chickens each day." He roughly estimated that across the 16 Benji Xiaopao outlets in Linyi, more than 28,000 chickens were sold during the holiday.

Yet looking at Linyi's overall picture, this number is just the tip of the iceberg. A saying circulates in the streets that makes outsiders chuckle while locals nod in full agreement 鈥?"Not a single chicken can leave Linyi alive." Though said in jest, the confidence behind it is solid: according to statistics, Linyi consumes 280,000 chickens per day, sells over 100 million annually, and generates sales revenue exceeding 15 billion yuan.

Behind the "fried chicken craze" is the warming up of the entire cultural tourism sector. According to data from the Linyi Municipal People's Government official website, during the National Day holiday, Linyi's total tourist arrivals and total tourism revenue reached new highs, firmly ranking in the top tier of the province, with tourist growth significantly higher than this year's May Day holiday. Linyi successfully made it onto Douyin's "Mid-Autumn and National Day TOP 10 Autumn-Viewing Small Cities" list.

Looking across all of Linyi's scenic spots, the Langya Ancient City is the brightest star. It received over 600,000 visitors cumulatively during the National Day holiday, a year-on-year increase of 55%, while also claiming the TOP 1 spot on Douyin's national play group-buying list and fourth place on Qunar Travel's national National Day attraction popularity ranking.

Not only that, but multiple scenic spots in Linyi continued to be "red-hot": Tianmeng Scenic Area received 200,000 visitors over 7 days, with comprehensive revenue exceeding 10 million yuan, and visitor growth ranking first among mountain scenic areas in the province; Feixian Lishan Jian Scenic Area issued a visitor limit notice because daytime visitor flow reached capacity...

While major scenic spots continued to heat up, the concert economy was the biggest variable in this year's booming cultural tourism market. On October 5 and 6, Li Ronghao performed two consecutive nights in Linyi, attracting over 80,000 fans, with more than half coming from out of town. Thirty-four scenic spots, hotels, and guesthouses in Linyi rolled out preferential policies: concert ticket holders could enjoy free admission, half-price tickets, discounts, and more, with some restaurants extending business hours until 2 a.m.

The real consumption "ticket rush" moment for Linyi comes before and after the concerts. Some fans dragged their suitcases straight from the high-speed rail station to fried chicken restaurants, while others planned to visit Langya Ancient City after the concert ended... Tourist Xiao Liu from Gaomi, Weifang, headed straight to Jiujiu Fried Chicken restaurant after getting off the train: "I've heard recommendations from Linyi friends for so long, and this time I finally got to taste the authentic Linyi flavor."

In fact, even before the National Day holiday, Linyi had already tasted the sweetness: from July 5 to 6 last year, Dao Lang held two consecutive concerts in Linyi, attracting 120,000 fans from all over the country, driving direct consumption of 320 million yuan and comprehensive consumption of 460 million yuan. Linyi uses concerts to bring people in, uses ticket stub discounts to keep people in Linyi for an extra two days, and uses nighttime shuttle services and late-night dining to solve the worry of "not being able to leave after the show."

During the National Day holiday, the proportion of overnight visitors steadily increased, with occupancy rates at star-rated hotels and boutique guesthouses remaining high, and multiple guesthouses fully booked for consecutive days; license plates from Beijing, Jiangsu, and other parts of the country could be seen everywhere on Linyi's streets, with visitor sources from out-of-province areas like Jiangsu and Shanghai growing steadily.

Concerts "draw traffic," fried chicken "goes viral," scenic spots "capitalize," and the incremental growth of urban consumption perhaps lies in "staying a little longer, eating one more meal, buying one more item."