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Stamp collecting new trend for shoppers during China's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday

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      China

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      Stamp collecting new trend for shoppers during China's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday

      2024-09-16 22:34 Last Updated At:09-17 06:17

      Stamp collecting has emerged as a captivating trend among China's younger generation, which could boost tourist spending during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday which started on Sunday.

      According to data from Fliggy, an online travel platform, hotel bookings have skyrocketed by 50 percent compared to the same period in 2019 while car rental reservations have more than doubled during this Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

      The preference for luxury accommodation is evident, with nearly 60 percent of hotel bookings concentrated on five-star establishments and boutique homestays. This suggests that travelers are willing to invest more in their Mid-Autumn Festival experiences.

      Beyond traditional tourist attractions, Gen Z and millennials are increasingly drawn to unique activities like moon-watching, lantern festivals, nighttime boat cruises, and stamp collecting.

      In Shanghai, the nation's economic hub, brick-and-mortar stores are employing innovative strategies to attract customers during the holiday. One such tactic involves offering a complimentary stamp with every purchase, adding an element of collectible excitement to the shopping experience.

      "I'm willing to buy something I like to get a stamp," said a tourist.

      The stamps are usually found in places of historic significance, and it's become a secret weapon to boost customer flow.

      A pop-up coffee and souvenir shop in downtown Shanghai, which opened just a week ago, features products related to archaeological excavations from the world-renowned Sanxingdui Ruins, one of China's most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century. It's also offering some specially designed stamps, with the stamp counter often very busy.

      "The store received nearly 1,000 people on the first day it opened. That number will double during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday," said Liu Xiaoji, manager of the shop.

      For the price of a coffee, from around 28 yuan (about 4 U.S. dollars), the customer will also get a special stamp.

      "Some people come for our limited-edition stamps. And when they collect the stamps, they also look around for other interesting stuff," Liu said.

      The stamps hold special meanings for tourists who want to record their travel experiences in unique ways.

      "I like to get a stamp, and then print the photo I take on site, and affix it with the stamp. And I will write my feelings about the tour," said a tourist.

      For shop owners, it's a sound business decision.

      "We did the stamp design ourselves. And the only cost is a few dozen yuan for an oil seal. It's worth it," said Liu.

      And for museum operators, who've been making every effort to boost their ticket sales, it's also a smart choice.

      Some museums have adapted it to allow automatic stamp collection. People who want to get a stamp at the museums are required to buy a handbook or "passport".

      "We sold more than 7,700 'passports' by August of this year. People can get four stamps at our museum and at different exhibition areas on seal collection machines," said Shen Ying, a staff member of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.

      On the Instagram-like content-sharing platform Xiaohongshu, stamp collection in Shanghai has had more than 610,000 mentions.

      The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, is a cherished occasion for family reunions. It falls on Sept. 17 this year.

      Stamp collecting new trend for shoppers during China's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday

      Stamp collecting new trend for shoppers during China's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday

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      Transformation, upgrading of China's manufacturing investment accelerates in 2024

      2025-01-20 22:37 Last Updated At:23:07

      China in 2024 saw a faster transformation and upgrading of investment in manufacturing industry, a strong growth of investment in high-tech industries, and a rebound of investment in infrastructure construction, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Saturday.

      The investment in manufacturing industry grew by 9.2 percent compared to the previous year, or six percentage points higher than the growth rate of overall investment. In particular, investment in technological upgrades of manufacturing industry increased by eight percent, or 4.8 percentage points higher than overall investment growth.

      Private investment in manufacturing grew by 10.8 percent, driving up overall private investment by 5.3 percentage points.

      The structure of investment continued to optimize. Investment in high-tech industries rose eight percent compared to the previous year, which was 4.8 percentage points higher than the growth rate of overall investment. In particular, investment in high-tech manufacturing grew by seven percent, and that in high-tech service industry grew by 10.2 percent. Investments related to high-tech industries, such as aerospace equipment manufacturing and professional technical services, increased by more than 30 percent.

      In 2025, China plans to moderately increase central government budgetary investments, issue ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and local government special bonds, and enhance efforts to support projects for implementing major national strategies and building security capacity in key areas, as well as implementation of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs, with the aim of stimulating private investment activity through various measures, effectively leveraging government investment to drive social investment, improving investment efficiency, and promoting steady growth in investments.

      Transformation, upgrading of China's manufacturing investment accelerates in 2024

      Transformation, upgrading of China's manufacturing investment accelerates in 2024

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