Netizens praise free parking, affordable meals

Local government offices across the country opened free parking lots and affordable canteens to the public during the National Day holiday, which gained widespread accolades on social media.

In Quzhou, Zhejiang province, the municipal government's canteen served lunch and dinner from Oct 1 to 7, featuring the city's distinctive dishes.

A visitor surnamed Jin tried to have lunch on the first day at the popular canteen, but her efforts were in vain as the food had sold out quickly. She returned for dinner and enjoyed a meal priced at 18 yuan ($2.60), which included a meat dish, half-meat dish and a vegetarian option.

In a short video posted online, Jin expressed satisfaction, noting, "The portions were generous!"

The canteen's positive reception became a hot topic on social media, with another visitor praising the service, easy parking and delicious food.

During the holiday, Quzhou government offices also offered free parking to the public, aiming to improve the visitor experience.

Quzhou has a tradition of opening its government facilities to the public during holidays. As early as five years ago, during the Labor Day holiday, the city began offering local cuisine and over 3,000 free parking spaces at more than 65 government and enterprise units. Since then, it has become the norm for such units to open their parking areas during holidays.

In Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, the Xiyuan Canteen located within the government compound, once again welcomed visitors during the holiday. Over 2,400 parking spaces in 42 internal parking lots, including at the municipal government, were made available for free.

According to Xia Chaoqun, an official at the Yangzhou City Government Service Center, the canteen adjusted its menu based on visitor feedback, offering single-person set meals, local snacks and seasonal Huaiyang cuisine.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Yangzhou's government canteen opened its doors during the holidays. Efforts such as these, as noted by the Qianjiang Evening News, reflect a human-centered approach to urban management, enhancing city appeal by providing a welcoming experience.

Other regions across China, including Huangshan in Anhui province, Yuxi in Yunnan province, and Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, have introduced similar services for tourists. In Xixian county, Shanxi province, temporary parking lots were expanded at popular tourist spots such as Xiaoxitian, with government offices and enterprises offering free parking.

Lishui in Zhejiang province also opened all government-affiliated parking lots and roadside spaces to the public for free from Oct 1 to 7, making nearly 9,600 parking spots available for small vehicles.

Since 2022, the city has periodically opened administrative and State-owned enterprise parking spaces for public use at no cost.