The century-old Palace Museum opened its gates at night for the first time for this year's Lantern Festival yesterday, presenting a unique, fantastic gala to the general public. Besides the Palace Museum, the night tour business has gained footing in some tourist cities in China, forging a new industry format, according to a report from 21st Century Business Herald.

"The Palace Museum's night tour is an innovation in revitalizing intangible cultural heritage," said Zhang Meng, director of the tourism management research institute at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

The night tour at the Forbidden City attracted 3,000 lucky ticket-holders, with tens of thousands watching livestreamed broadcast in various venues. Tourism data of the last Spring Festival holiday also indicated themed night tours have been well-accepted by the market.

Industry analysts said the upgrading of consumer demand and innovations in the tourism industry have extended visiting time and space, making night tourism a new driver of development.