How a bowl of spicy noodles made this Chinese town famous

A malatang stall at a popular snack street in the Qinzhou District of Tianshui City. Tourism in the area has suddenly shot up, thanks to a viral social media trend featuring the spicy malatang. — Xinhua

The influx of tourists to the Chinese city of Tianshui was sudden and overwhelming. Government offices opened their normally restricted parking lots to accommodate the surge. Railway operators extended train services. Officials held a snap meeting to discuss what to do next.

All this over a 15 yuan (RM10) bowl of meat and vegetables mixed with a tongue-numbing spicy sauce.