This summer, the "Yue BA" basketball league and GDSL football league set the city of Zhongshan ablaze, sparking a new trend of sports event-driven tourism among young people.

Beyond the stadiums, a more enduring "coffee craze" is sweeping across both urban and rural areas. By the end of 2025, Zhongshan boasted nearly 2,500 coffee shops, 1.87 times the national average. With 4.56 cafes per 10,000 people, the city ranks 10th nationwide in per capita store density.

Fueled by this boom, a growing number of young entrepreneurs are opening cafes in old blocks, ancient villages and older residential neighborhoods.

Amid the growing urban-rural coffee craze, several community-based cafes in downtown are taking a cooler approach: staying rooted in the community, embracing local culture, and leveraging their human touch to build "the third spaces" and "urban-rural lounges" that residents and tourists must visit.