‘Yanhuo Chi’ (烟火气), rooted in Chinese culture, symbolizes the aesthetically rich atmosphere of everyday life. This study conceptualizes Yanhuo Chi as a unique everyday tourism experience, expanding the boundaries of the ‘everyday’ in Everyday Aesthetics to include non-routine settings like tourism. By integrating Eastern Living Aesthetics with Western Everyday Aesthetics, it enriches the discourse and challenges Western ideological frameworks in tourism aesthetics studies. The research also broadens borderline aesthetic experiences by identifying diverse aesthetic tensions within tourists' Yanhuo Chi experiences. This phenomenological exploration reveals how Yanhuo Chi offers a nuanced understanding of aesthetic experiences in tourism, contributing to a more inclusive and culturally diverse appreciation of everyday aesthetics.