The High Person Unveils the Mystery Behind the Zibo Barbecue Fire Three Years Ago

The sound of firecrackers drives away the old year's evil spirits. (Screenshot from the internet)

[People News] Many people likely still remember the Zibo barbecue that took China by storm in 2023, making Zibo a city that is now well-known to many.

Zibo barbecue is a local specialty from Zibo, Shandong, famous for its unique dining style involving a 'small stove + small cake + small green onion.' Diners can grill their food on a small stove at their table and wrap the meat in a small cake, accompanied by dipping sauce and green onions. Prior to February 2023, few outsiders were familiar with this snack.

However, in a surprising turn of events, social media platforms like Douyin saw a surge of videos and posts from university students promoting 'group trips on the high-speed train to Zibo for barbecue,' which drew even more young people to the city.

According to information released by Zibo's cultural and tourism department, Zibo Station recorded a total of 51,960 passengers traveling to and from the station on March 4, 2023 (Saturday), marking the highest number in three years. On March 18, 2023, Zibo Station sent off 23,767 passengers and welcomed 33,024 passengers, totaling 56,791 passengers, once again setting a new record.

Following this, several official media outlets in mainland China reported on the phenomenon, and online traffic peaked on April 9, 2023, with the search index for 'Zibo barbecue' on the Douyin platform reaching approximately 11,057,900 by April 29.

The local community in Zibo has been very welcoming to the young people visiting. On March 31, 2023, the railway department launched the first high-speed train dubbed the "Barbecue Special Train" from Jinan to Zibo. This special service added a total of 24 trips between March 31 and April 23, 2023, operating every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Zibo City has also introduced 21 customized bus routes, while the 42 regular bus lines in the main urban area connect to 33 barbecue restaurants. Numerous youth stations across the city offer eligible young students seeking jobs and employment in Zibo free accommodation three times a year, for two nights each time. Additionally, young students visiting Zibo for internships, tourism, or to see friends can enjoy half-price accommodation four times a year, for five days each time. The affordable, and sometimes even free, prices, combined with enthusiastic service, have drawn many young people to Zibo to sample the local cuisine.

This trend continued until June of that year, when searches for the keyword "Zibo Barbecue" on Douyin fell to around 110,000 on June 30, 2023, signaling a decline in interest in "Zibo Barbecue."

At first glance, this seems like a highly successful marketing effort, but has anyone pondered why Zibo barbecue has not regained its status as a hotspot since then? Insiders have hinted that there is a deeper mystery at play.

It turns out that since 2018, the residents of Zibo have sensed an increasing presence of negative energy in the city, with an unsettling feeling even during the day. Consequently, some sought the advice of local experts to understand the cause. The experts revealed that this was due to a multitude of underground spirits that were becoming restless and needed to be subdued by positive energy.

Historical records indicate that Linzi, a district under Zibo, was not only the capital of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods but also witnessed several extremely fierce battles and sieges throughout history, resulting in significant casualties among both soldiers and civilians. Notable battles include the Battle of Le Yi against Qi (284 BC), the Battle of Zhu A and Linzi (29 AD), and the Battle of Qin's conquest of Qi (221 BC). It is easy to imagine how many individuals have been buried beneath Linzi over the past two millennia and how many restless spirits continue to linger.

Some may wonder why there were no issues prior to 2018. The circumstances before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power are unknown to the author, but after the CCP took control in 1949, several steel mills were established in Zibo, including Shandong Steel Group Yongfeng Zibo Co., Ltd. (its predecessor), Shandong Steel Group Zibo Zhang Steel Co., Ltd. (Zibo Zhang Steel), Shandong Steel Group, and Zibo Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. According to local experts, these steel mills were highly active, and since many of the steelworkers were vigorous young individuals, they managed to suppress the underground yin energy for decades.

However, following the restructuring, mergers, and economic downturn around 2018, the number of steel mills declined, leading to an inability to contain the underground yin energy, which caused the restless spirits below to stir once more.

In response, local experts suggested a solution: harnessing the yang energy from the human realm to suppress the yin energy. This is why efforts were made to attract energetic young people to Zibo to enjoy hot barbecues. After nearly six months of this initiative, the underground yin energy in Zibo was subdued, and consequently, the once-thriving Zibo barbecue scene came to a close.

The author cannot ascertain whether this is the truth, but who can guarantee that such a possibility does not exist? Reflecting on the barbecue scene in Zibo, it is evident that there were indeed strange occurrences and oddities at the end.

(First published by People News) △