ZIBO, China — The city of Zibo was once an obscure factory town in eastern China, and not much of a tourist destination, until cheap barbecued-meat skewers put it on the map this spring.

In a part of Zibo where grill houses line the streets, crowds sit at tables where meat skewers roast atop burners. Even though it is a weekday, each restaurant is packed around 6 p.m., and “sold out” signs discourage latecomers.

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