People take photos in front of a local barbecue restaurant in Zibo, Shandong province, May 3, 2023. [Photo/VCG]

Zibo, Shandong province, achieved a total gross domestic product of 105.77 billion yuan ($15.65 billion) in the first quarter, growing 4.7 percent year-on-year, according to the city's bureau of statistics on May 6.

Primary industry, with agriculture at its core, reported an added value of 2.50 billion yuan, an increase of 4.4 percent year-on-year. Secondary industry, mainly manufacturing, registered an added value increase of 4.6 percent to 50.74 billion yuan, while tertiary industry, represented by the service sectors, reported an added value of 52.52 billion yuan, rising 4.7 percent.

The consumer market showed strong recovery momentum in the first quarter. Total retail sales of consumer goods in the city reached 31.36 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent.

The city has recently been trending on Chinese social media for its barbecue, and saw a sharp increase in tourists over the recent May Day holiday.