A new shopping trend is spreading among foreign tourists visiting China, with travelers arriving with empty suitcases and filling them with local products before heading home.
Videos showing off goods bought in China, known as "China Haul," have gained popularity on overseas social media, according to a recent report by China's People's Daily Online.
China Haul refers to content in which travelers unpack items purchased during a trip to China one by one after returning home, sharing reviews and shopping tips. Some travelers pack several empty suitcases in anticipation of shopping in China.
Shopping Lists Expand From Snacks and Souvenirs to AI Glasses
What foreign tourists buy is also changing. While shopping once centered on traditional souvenirs and inexpensive household goods, interest has recently widened to advanced electronics and Chinese domestic brands.
Portable gimbals, action cameras and artificial intelligence glasses have emerged as popular items. Chinese-style clothing, shoes and cosmetics, as well as traditional health products and cultural goods, are also drawing attention.
Shopping methods have diversified as well. One travel influencer from Australia described ordering products from online shopping platforms before arriving in China and having them delivered to the hotel. Some travelers bring old clothes, donate them locally and fill the emptied bags with newly purchased goods.
Tax-Refund Tourists Surge 366% as Policies Fuel Shopping Boom
The rise in spending by foreign tourists is borne out by the data. The number of foreign tourists who received tax refunds when leaving China in the first half of this year rose 366% from a year earlier, according to People's Daily Online. Sales of tax-refund eligible goods and the amount refunded each increased 69%.
China's visa-free transit stay program, improvements in mobile payment services and simplified tax refund procedures for departing travelers are cited as factors that have made shopping more convenient.
People's Daily Online said the trend goes beyond bulk purchases of cheap goods, reflecting growing interest among overseas consumers in the technology and design of Chinese products.
It added that as travelers buy products themselves and share reviews on social media, Chinese brands are gaining exposure abroad as a natural byproduct.