网红城市，“凉”于2025

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the rise and subsequent decline of "internet celebrity cities" in China, focusing on Chongqing's Rongchang as a recent example of a city that gained popularity through social media but faces challenges in sustaining that attention and economic benefit [3][4][7]. Group 1: Rise of Rongchang - Rongchang became a trending destination in 2025, largely due to the viral success of "卤鹅哥" (Lu E Ge), which significantly boosted the city's profile and tourism [3][4]. - During the "May Day" holiday, Rongchang received 2.345 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 168.2%, with sales of 290,000 units of the famous "卤鹅" skyrocketing by 752.53% [4]. - The local government actively supported the viral phenomenon, providing free public transport, parking, and even opening government canteens to accommodate the influx of tourists [5][10]. Group 2: Challenges and Decline - Despite the initial success, Rongchang's ability to sustain its popularity is limited by its small size and capacity, making it difficult to handle continuous high volumes of visitors [7][8]. - The overall trend of internet celebrity cities is declining, with increasing difficulty in replicating the success of earlier cities like Zibo and Harbin, which benefited from pent-up travel demand post-pandemic [8][10]. - The article highlights that many cities, including Rongchang, face structural challenges, such as population decline and lack of strong economic foundations, which complicate their efforts to maintain tourist interest [12][14]. Group 3: Economic Implications - The influx of tourists does not always translate into economic growth, as seen in Zibo and Harbin, where GDP growth lagged behind national averages despite high visitor numbers [11][15]. - The reliance on transient tourist flows can lead to misallocation of resources and exacerbate existing economic vulnerabilities in smaller cities [14][15]. - The article suggests that the focus for sustainable development should shift back to building strong pillar industries rather than depending solely on fleeting internet fame [15].