For foodies, there's nothing a good hot pot can't solve—if one round isn't enough, then two will do just fine.

Chinese cuisine boasts a wide variety of dishes, yet hot pot undoubtedly deserves a prominent place. Whether it's the biting cold of winter or the scorching heat of summer, hot pot continues to be the top choice among food lovers, repeatedly claiming the title of "No. 1 in market share among specialized catering categories."

Data shows that in 2018, China's catering market exceeded 4 trillion yuan, with hot pot alone contributing over 480 billion yuan. Within China's vast culinary landscape, hot pot has maintained a share of more than 11% for five consecutive years. According to forecasts, the hot pot market is expected to reach nearly 800 billion yuan by 2022.

How much do people love it? Out of every 100 restaurants, 4 are hot pot eateries.

Nearly 400,000—this is the total number of hotpot restaurants across China as of the end of 2018. According to a report by Meituan, hotpot restaurants account for more than 4% of all dining establishments nationwide, meaning that out of every 100 foodservice outlets, 4 are dedicated to serving hotpot dishes.

Which regions are popular for hot pot? Sichuan and Chongqing undoubtedly rank high, but surprisingly, Guangdong—known for its light-flavored cuisine—boasts the second-largest number of hot pot restaurants, with over 30,000 locations.

As the birthplace of spicy hot pot, Sichuan (with approximately 40,000 restaurants) and Chongqing (with around 30,000), together account for about 18.4% of the nation's hot pot establishments—truly living up to their renowned reputation. Meanwhile, Guangdong primarily features Cantonese-style hot pots, with a preference for rice porridge-based options as well as dishes like pig stomach chicken hot pot.

However, in terms of store density, Chongqing residents are the luckiest! On average, there are 9.4 hotpot restaurants per 10,000 people—meaning roughly one hotpot restaurant for every thousand residents! Sichuan, Beijing, Shaanxi, and Guizhou follow closely behind, each boasting more than 4 hotpot restaurants per 10,000 people. How is the distribution of hotpot restaurants in your hometown?