Motorbike Craze Drives Tourism Surge in China’s Chongqing

The night air in Chongqing, China, is filled with the roar of motorbike engines as tourists eagerly climb onto gleaming motorcycles, clutching muscular riders to star in personalized video shoots. Teams of sellers actively promote their filming services to passersby, many drawn by the city’s cyberpunk aesthetic and viral motorbiking videos circulating on social media platforms.

One visitor, Liu Changqing, who traveled from Shanghai, prioritized participating in one of these shoots upon arrival. Despite the summer heat, she donned a heavy motorcycle jacket rented for the experience and noted the availability of makeup artists to prepare customers before they mounted crimson superbikes and sped off, pursued by videographers capturing the action.

Unlike many Chinese cities that have imposed restrictions on motorcycling, Chongqing has embraced the culture, transforming into a biker’s paradise. What began as local riders filming each other for online posts exploded into a tourism phenomenon last year, coinciding with a surge in visitors to the sprawling metropolis of 23 million residents.

Videos tagged with related hashtags have amassed a cumulative 1.3 billion views on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, elevating Chongqing’s motorcycle culture to national prominence and attracting international attention. Zhang Yuanming, a 29-year-old motorbike enthusiast and instructor, remarked on a local saying that if a camera were placed at any intersection in Chongqing, a motorcycle would pass by every 30 seconds.

Zhang attributes the city’s biking popularity to several factors: the abundance of motorcycle manufacturers, the rugged terrain, and the city’s notorious traffic congestion. Since 1979, Chongqing has been a hub for motorcycle production, beginning with the state-owned military equipment manufacturer Jialing’s shift to producing civilian motorcycles.

Motorbikes quickly gained popularity, and today Chongqing accounts for more than a third of China’s total motorbike production. While many Chinese cities have shifted toward electric scooters due to regulatory ease, Chongqing remains open to petrol-powered two-wheelers, maintaining its unique biking culture.

Zhang, who coaches students at a racing track on the city’s outskirts, hopes that tourism will further enhance Chongqing’s reputation as a biker city. He noted that tourists who take photos and videos during their rides may develop an interest in motorcycles, potentially learning to ride and purchasing bikes themselves. Interest among students has increased since March, partly inspired by local brand ZXMoto’s historic win in the WorldSSP racing class in Portugal, marking the first Chinese manufacturer to achieve this feat.

For local bikers offering video services, Chongqing’s motorcycle culture presents a lucrative business opportunity. Customers pay upwards of 200 yuan (approximately $30) for choreographed photo and video packages, which feature riders sweeping customers off their feet and cruising past the city’s landmarks in slow motion.

Li Yan, a 26-year-old rider, explained that their team initially made short videos of themselves, but as others noticed their appeal, demand grew for rides. Li now earns up to 1,000 yuan per night, with his team expanding to seven members who handle advertising, driving, and video editing. Each rider typically attracts six to 12 customers nightly.

Although domestic interest has waned since the craze’s peak last year, foreign tourists now constitute about one-third of customers each evening, helping sustain the trend as it gains international exposure. Alex Schodorowska, a British tourist, said she saw the trend on Instagram and considered it a must-do experience in Chongqing, praising the city’s unique illuminated skyline as an ideal backdrop for videos.

Chongqing’s motorbike craze has thus become a significant driver of tourism, blending the city’s industrial heritage, urban landscape, and social media influence into a vibrant cultural phenomenon that continues to attract visitors from around the world.