(Yicai Global) July 12 -- Beijing, a metropolis of more than 21 million people, plans to extend the opening hours of the city's metro and scenic spots to stimulate the development of its night-time economy.

China's capital will also permit sports events until 10 p.m. and encourage shopping malls, museums and art galleries to push back their closing times, the Beijing Youth Daily reported today. The authorities will provide financial support to 24-hour convenience stores and subsidize public performances in venues with less than 3,000 seats.

Starting on July 19, metro lines 1 and 2 will operate until 0.30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday during May to October. The public transportation department will raise the frequency of night buses and increase the number of parking spaces, taxi operators and online car-hailing platforms available after dark.

The city's police also said it was simplifying the licensing process for big events. If organizers hold multiple similar at one venue, it would consider issuing a single license valid for a year rather than requiring a separate application for each event.

Beijing's total consumption jumped 7.9 percent to CNY1.09 billion (USD158 billion) in the five months ended May, compared with the same period a year earlier. Services gained 9.9 percent, while consumer goods sales rose 5.2 percent to CNY459 billion (USD66.7 billion).

Almost three-quarters of travel agencies offer night activities, but the income accounts for less than 30 percent of their total revenue, according to a recent survey by the China Tourism Academy. There is still much scope for improvement in quantity and quality, the report said.