Beijing, Dec 25 (IANS) A traditional Chinese method of warming one's bed during the cold weather - bronze pots filled with hot water - has surprisingly beaten electric heaters in the country this year.
Stores selling electric heaters have been cold-shouldered, but the weather has created new opportunities for the old method, the China Daily reported.
With mercury dipping to as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, long lines were seen outside a store in Shanghai where bronze pots were sold.
More than 17,000 pots have been sold so far this winter in Shanghai, a store owner said.
The pots are cheaper to use in the long run than electric heaters and evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Herbal paste and traditional medicine have also seen brisk business.
The paste, meant to be good for digestion and said to give a warm feeling inside, now costs 3,000 yuan, almost three times the price five years ago.
Hot springs are also doing roaring business.
Resorts in the Yangtze river delta have been inundated with bookings and queries.
A sales manager at a hot spring in Nanjing said the phone has been ringing constantly with potential customers inquiring about the available packages. During the weekend, the resort received about 4,000 people a day.
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