American rapper Kanye West took center stage at Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou, the vibrant capital of Hainan province, on Sunday. His electrifying performance marked his first return to China since 2008, drawing nearly 40,000 fans for a memorable live music show during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
Dubbed a \"world tour listening party,\" the event saw 95 percent of attendees traveling from outside Hainan island, including cities like Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Beijing. Fans also flocked from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and various international locations, highlighting Haikou's growing appeal as a global entertainment hub.
To accommodate the influx, Haikou city authorities rolled out over 100 discount services across hotels, scenic spots, restaurants, shopping malls, and retail stores. These efforts paid off, with the city's average hotel occupancy rate soaring to over 83 percent on the first day of the holiday, marking a 41.82 percent increase from the previous year, according to the municipal bureau of tourism.
Economists estimate that Kanye West's concert contributed approximately 373 million yuan (around $52.6 million) in tourism revenue for Haikou. Local residents like Li Qi from Chengdu took advantage of the opportunity, combining the concert experience with visits to iconic tourist attractions, sampling local delicacies, and shopping at duty-free stores.
\"I'm going to buy some duty-free goods for my family,\" said Li Qi, reflecting the sentiments of many visitors.
Lyu Xiaolei, deputy mayor of Haikou, emphasized the concert's impact: \"The show had a significant influence, with the vast majority of attendees coming from outside the island, bringing a large influx of tourists to Haikou.\" She added that the visitors' engagement in duty-free shopping and various cultural activities greatly boosted the city's holiday consumption. Lyu also highlighted plans to attract more international and domestic concerts, aiming to establish Haikou as an international city of performing arts.
Kanye West's concert was among several high-profile events held during the holiday period, with concerts and musical festivals featuring both domestic and international stars attracting large crowds across China.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
