Late night life in Chongqing is different from any other cities. Although Chongqing has clubs and bars, they are not the final destination of their weekend life. ShaokaoTan, the Chinese BBQ, or the late-night street vendor, is always the last stop before anyone go home and end their weekend night. Shaokao is the soul of Chongqing’s night life. When I was young, many ShaokaoTan street vendors are mobile. They move from one place to another to find customers. Most of ShaokaoTan located near bars and clubs or near shopping center, because that’s where they can find more customers. There are also “secret ShaokaoTan.” Those street vendors are usually hard to find. They may hide behind buildings or customers have to walk across a narrow alley to get there.
However, after I grow up. Many ShaokaoTan disappeared. Some of them move to other places, but others give up doing this business because of government regulations. Chengguan and other police administrations officers view those street vendors as illegal business owners, especially during Wang LiJun era. Wang Lijun is a Chinese former police chief in Chongqing. For political reasons, he and Bo Xilai, the former Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing, hope to bring Chongqing “new blood” by rebuilding the city’s outlook. Wang LiJun build hundreds of outside police stations to create a “safe Chongqing”, and at the same time throw out a lot of street vendors, because those street vendors don’t fit the image of new Chongqing. Shaokao Tan street vendors are scared of opening their business because police stations are usually located near shopping centers, bars and clubs. Mobile ShaokaoTan gradually disappeared but occasionally they will appear near Karaoke places.
Few years ago, Chongqing established a policy only for street vendors regulations. The policy has specific requirements for legal street vendors. Street vendors must have a license to open their businesses, but there are limitations for food categories. For example, health care products, children food and alcohol are not allowed as small businesses or street vendors. Besides, street vendors must have a physical location to open their businesses, which means they must have a store to make food. This policy may be the strictest one for mobile ShaoKaoTan street vendors. Mobile ShaoKao Tan always make BBQ on their cars, where they put a grill and use charcoal to set up fire. Although their “kitchen” are visible and small, sometimes those grills may not look that clean, street vendors don’t have to pay for the rental fee. However, if they need a physical store, they have to pay for the high rent. Most Shaokao Tan owners are Dibaohu, and their small businesses are usually run by a couple or a family of three or four. They use their Shaokao Tan to make a living for a whole family, but paying rent for a physical location is too expensive for them.
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