On a regular weekday in early April, tourists from across the country browsed stalls to taste local snacks, filling each crevice of the food alley at the Badaju Market in Zhangdian district of Zibo, Shandong province.

Yu Xianxian, a traveler from Anhui province, made Badaju Market her first stop in the morning. "I'm going to try the purple rice cake," Yu said as she waited in line. "And tonight, I want to have some barbecue."

She was referring to a meal fans call the "soul three-piece set", served with a small stove, pancakes, and dipping spices. This delicacy turned Zibo into a national phenomenon in the spring of 2023. For months, travelers formed long queues, lured by the promise of a sublime barbecue experience. Tables were nearly impossible to book.

Three years later, Zibo is proving it was never just a flash in the pan. The city has used the intervening years since its viral moment to build on the attention with better market regulation, improved public services, and a growing variety of tourism projects.

The goal, in the words of vice-mayor Guo Qing, is to "turn tourism buzz into real benefits for people and long-term growth". In 2025, the city welcomed 75.87 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent.