Affordable excellence earns rave reviews
 
During the just-concluded May Day holidays, the government canteen in Rongchang district, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, opened its doors to the public, specially offering over 20 local specialty dishes that provided visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a one-stop culinary journey of authentic local flavors, with prices ranging from 3 yuan ($0.42) to 18 yuan per dish, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
 
The combination of affordable pricing and regional delicacies proved highly appealing, with the inaugural meal attracting over 3,000 visitors, the Guangming Daily reported. Many dishes were swept clean just after being placed on serving racks, said an official from the Rongchang government.
 
Wang, the canteen manager, said that they had steamed over 500 kilograms of rice on the first day to meet the demand, according to the report.
 
"By noon, we had completely exhausted all prepared ingredients, as we hadn't anticipated that the first meal would exceed our projected daily visitor count," Lei Xia, director of Rongchang government’s logistics management department, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "That afternoon, we coordinated with local and neighboring suppliers to ensure adequate provisions," she added.
 
A visitor surnamed Mo, who experienced the government canteen during the holidays, told the Global Times that despite long queues, operations remained orderly with government officials introducing local specialties. 
 
Meanwhile, at Hongcun town government canteen in Yixian county, East China's Anhui Province, visitors could enjoy a 10-yuan set meal featuring five dishes, one soup and complimentary local sesame cakes, with a rotating daily menu, per Xinhua. 
 
In Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, the city government canteen also welcomed public visitors during the holidays, serving lunch daily from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. 
 
A tourist surnamed Zhang told the Global Times that she only spent 36 yuan for five dishes that she shared with a friend, praising both the cost-effectiveness and generous portions.
 
To enhance visitors’ experience, the Quzhou canteen established dedicated zones for local snacks and specialty handicrafts and agricultural products, according to Xinhua.
 
Extending hospitality beyond dining, some local governments implemented comprehensive convenience measures. Starting from May 1, Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, opened 356 institutional parking spaces containing nearly 35,000 parking lots for free public use, the China News reported.
 
Home away from home

The groundwork for the Rongchang government canteen initiative began in April after local influencer Lin Jiang's viral recommendation of Rongchang-style braised goose to US influencer IShowSpeed catapulted the city into the spotlight. 
 
Facing the impending May Day tourist surge, authorities grappled with logistical challenges as the district's limited 20,000-meal daily capacity required strategic planning to ensure both hospitality and functionality, according to Lei.
 
"As we always emphasize, bringing benefit to the people is a fundamental principle of governance," said Lei, detailing their decision to transform official resource into public solution. "This canteen initiative directly addresses visitors' practical needs, which is a demonstration of the philosophy of people-centered development."
 
"We've sampled cuisines across the country but visiting a government canteen is a first for us – we wanted to personally experience what 'official dining' truly tastes like," said a tourist from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, when explaining their visit to Rongchang's government canteen.
 
Mo shared that she previously perceived government institutions as more serious and mysterious places, assuming ordinary citizens had no access to official dining facilities. "This experience completely shifted my perspective – it bridged the gap between officials and civilians," she noted, adding that many of the officials themselves didn't have time to dine in the canteen, as they were too busy maintaining order and answering visitors' questions. This gave her a clearer understanding of the government's commitment to the people.
 
Numerous officials volunteered their holiday time to assist, with some directing traffic under the scorching sun and others resolving parking issues. The government also further enhanced visitor comfort by opening lounges and deploying scheduled sanitation crews. "We hope everyone feels the city's warmth as a home away from home," Lei noted. 
 
She said that a "serve the people" emblem is displayed at the heart of the open lounge. Though Lei’s days are now packed with duties, whenever she passes through the space and catches a glimpse of the smiles of the satisfied visitors, she feels she is truly embodying the spirit of those iconic words — a realization that brings her a profound sense of fulfillment.