Sawt Falasteen - Tourists chase high-octane thrill in China's trending biker capital

Teams of sellers hawk their filming services to passersby, many of whom have been drawn to the city and its cyberpunk image by motorbiking videos on social media shot against the neon-lit nightscape.

"I flew from Shanghai to Chongqing this morning, and the first priority is this shoot," 30-year-old Liu Changqing told AFP, dressed in one of the heavy motorcycle jackets rented to customers, despite the sweltering heat.

"They even have make-up artists to help you," she said as she mounted a crimson superbike, wrapped her arms around her driver and sped off with a videographer in pursuit.

While many Chinese cities have restricted motorcycling, Chongqing has embraced it and become a biker's paradise.

What began with local riders snapping each other to post online exploded last year as tourism to the mega-city of 23 million spiked.

Videos using a hashtag related to the trend have racked up a cumulative 1.3 billion views on Douyin -- China's version of TikTok -- helping to elevate Chongqing's motorcycle culture to national prominence and even gaining recognition overseas.

- Manufacturing hub -

"There is a local saying that if you put a camera at an intersection in Chongqing, every 30 seconds you'll see a motorcycle pass by," said Zhang Yuanming, a 29-year-old motorbike enthusiast and instructor.

Zhang attributes biking's popularity in the city to the prevalence of manufacturers, the rugged terrain, and bad traffic.

Chongqing has been an industry hub since 1979, when state-owned military equipment manufacturer Jialing began producing civilian motorcycles in the city.

Motorbikes quickly became popular, and the city now accounts for more than a third of China's total motorbike production.

While many Chinese cities are dominated by electric scooters, which face fewer regulations, Chongqing has remained open to petrol-powered two-wheelers.

Zhang, who teaches students to race at a track on the outskirts of the city, hopes tourism will further burnish the city's biker reputation.

"When (tourists) take photos and videos, they may come to like motorbikes and learn to ride, then buy a bike," he said.

Zhang has also seen increased interest from students since March, when local brand ZXMoto made headlines by becoming the first Chinese manufacturer to win a race in the prestigious WorldSSP class in Portugal.

"It's pushing young people to get in touch with motorcycles," he said.

- Roaring business -

For the local bikers offering videos for tourists, Chongqing's motorcycle prowess is a business opportunity.

The packages of choreographed photos and videos -- in which customers are swept off their feet by dashing riders and cruise past the city's landmarks in slow motion -- cost upwards of 200 yuan ($30).

"We used to just make short videos of ourselves. Later other people saw that we looked pretty handsome so they started wanting to sit on the back," 26-year-old rider Li Yan told AFP, explaining how he now earns up to 1,000 yuan a night from customers.

Li's team has grown to seven members working together to advertise online and to passersby, drive the bikes, and edit the footage, with each rider attracting around six to 12 customers a night.

Domestic interest has cooled from the craze's peak last year, but foreign tourists -- who now make up around a third of customers each evening -- are helping fill the gap as the news spreads overseas.

"I saw it was a 'must do' in Chongqing," said Alex Schodorowska, a tourist visiting from Britain, who saw the trend on Instagram.

"There's nowhere with a view like this, with all the lights," the 29-year-old told AFP as she waited her turn for a ride.

"I don't think many places could have the same effect for video."

Y.Zaher--SF-PST