Chongqing motorbike videos draw tourists to biker city

Tourists are travelling to Chongqing for personalised motorbike videos, turning the Chinese megacity's night roads and neon skyline into a business for local riders.

Sellers offer choreographed photos and videos in which customers ride behind motorcyclists past city landmarks. Packages cost upwards of 200 yuan, or about $30.

The trend grew from local riders posting clips online and expanded as Chongqing tourism rose last year. Videos using a related hashtag have reached a cumulative 1.3 billion views on Douyin, China's version of TikTok.

Chongqing has embraced motorbikes while many Chinese cities restrict them. The city has been a motorcycle manufacturing hub since 1979, when state-owned Jialing began producing civilian motorcycles, and it now accounts for more than a third of China's total motorbike production.

Li Yan, a 26-year-old rider, told AFP he now earns up to 1,000 yuan a night from customers. He said his team has grown to seven people who advertise, drive bikes and edit footage.

Zhang Yuanming, a motorbike instructor and enthusiast, said the city's manufacturers, rugged terrain and traffic have helped motorbikes stay popular. He said tourism could push more people to learn to ride and buy bikes.