Factory tours grow as cool choice to beat summer heat

陈小将

Visitors attend a workshop on the traditional craft of pickling sour bamboo shoots — a key ingredient in luosifen— at Luobawang's production plant in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in August 2024. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]

Spending your holiday touring a factory that makes stinky noodle dishes seems like an unexciting way to enjoy a summer vacation, but that's exactly what Lu Jiaying and her boyfriend did recently.

On July 11, the sun was beating down and the heat was stifling in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The couple, from Guangzhou, neighboring Guangdong province, were on the last day of their trip to Liuzhou.

A bored Lu scrolled through the social media platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, thinking, "I need to find an air-conditioned place to visit."

Then, an idea struck her — why not tour the Luobawang Liuzhou Luosifen production plant with her boyfriend? Luosifen is a rice noodle dish made with a pungent snail broth; a street food from Liuzhou whose popularity has grown far beyond its origins.

"We had been in Liuzhou for several days and had already checked off most tourist spots. But we didn't want to end our journey by just lounging in the hotel, so we turned to social media to find something interesting and niche," Lu said.

"I suddenly saw many recommendations for Luobawang's factory on Xiaohongshu. Since I am a fan of luosifen, it clicked instantly — why not tour the facility?" said the 28-year-old.

The tour lasted about half an hour.